How Many More Chances
by Elizabeth Bathory
Summary: A windy road on a rainy night leads to tragedy. How much more of this can Tony and Pepper take? Follow the path that is made by pleasure and pain.
1. Chapter 1

How Many More Chances

How Many More Chances

By Elizabeth Bathory

Somewhere over the night sky near LAX, a private jet starts its descent into what can only be called a thunderstorm that came right out of Hell itself. In most cases, a pilot would circle for a while or find another clearer and safer airport to land at but not when the plane is owned by Anthony Stark. When the boss says land at LAX, you land.

It had all started in Boston after Tony had finally given in and given the commencement speech at MIT. It had taken a careful bit of persuasion by his loyal assistant and confidante, Pepper Potts, that this would give a lot of good press to counter some of the chaos of Iron Man. Tony had spoken rather eloquently, especially considering he wrote the speech himself on the flight to Massachusetts on half a bottle of scotch, about forging a new path of your own design rather than the ones that had been set before you. He had spoke from the heart and drew very much on his experiences in captivity and what Yinsen had told him…having his life was a gift not to be wasted.

After the ceremony, Tony 'graciously' agreed to stay for the reception at Pepper's quiet insistence, posed for some pictures and shared a few stories of his own MIT days as a teenager. As the celebration wore down, Tony gave Pepper a quick look which left no room for argument that he wanted to leave. It was a six hour flight back to Los Angeles across three time zones and he hated jet lag.

The hits just kept coming once the driver dropped Tony and Pepper off at Logan airport. Not one for being told what to do, Tony was clearly pissed off when he was told the earliest his plane was going to leave the tarmac was at eight o'clock…four hours later.

Tony was trying not to explode as he waited on the plane. One time he was on time for something and he still ends up being late.

"How much do you have to pay someone to cut the line here?" he grumbled under his breath as he stared out the window at the commercial jets leaving. "Because I'll write the damned check now if that is what it takes."

Pepper sighed as she listened to Tony's tenth expression of his frustration. "I highly doubt the FAA will let you buy your way into the sky. They usually get a little picky on that one."

"Money talks even to them."

"Not this time, Mr. Stark." Pepper said firmly as she gently nudged Tony back into his seat as a hint.

Tony's plane finally took to the skies after nine but he still could not relax. He spent nearly the entire six hour flight absently tapping his arc reactor and watching the lightening bounce off the clouds in the distance while fidgeting. He was exhausted and getting irritable from it but his body just would not let him fall asleep until the anger-induced adrenaline wore off.

Tony had a splitting headache hen the plane finally made a safe landing at LAX well after midnight California time and that just made his temper shorter. He and Pepper walked out of the terminal to see his most trusted bodyguard, Harold "Happy" Hogan, waiting with the one of the cars and his luggage already in the trunk.

"Pleasant flight sir?" Happy asked cautiously as he read his employer's dark mood and held open the door.

"I just want to go home." Tony said quietly. "I do not care how you have to do it but I want to go home as fast as possible. Hundred on the freeway, get the rockets off the armor and strap them to the back of the car…I don't care." He added before ducking in the car and getting comfortable in the back seat.

Happy silently looked to Pepper for an explanation and she just shook her head as a signal for him to avoid that line of questioning.

By the time Pepper had gotten in the car, Tony had taken off his tie and unbuttoned a few of the buttons on his shirt and fallen asleep against the door. The soft blue glow from his arc reactor gave Pepper just enough light to make a few quick notes on her Blackberry and let her relish in the peaceful sounds of Tony's soft snoring.

It was a short drive from LAX to Tony's Malibu home in normal weather, usually taking just about forty minutes along the 405 and Pacific Coast highway, but the blinding rain and wind it was taking twice as long. Happy was driving far more cautiously that he normally would but even with that, the situation went from worse to disastrous.

Happy turned off the exit from the Pacific Coast Highway and started down the darker and windier roads that lead to the mansion. He was pretty sure that they were alone on the road until he heard the sound of another very large engine. There were no headlights until the last second when they were turned on bright just as the SUV hit the car fast along the front fender and shoved it off the road and down the hills…right into a tree.

The accident had happened so quickly that there was no time to react. When the realization hit what had happened, it was when everyone was taking stock of their injuries and damage to the car.

Happy was fortunate enough to have his seat belt on and just had a few bruises. He looked into the back to check on his two passengers.

Pepper was lucky in that she was thrown right into Tony so she received very little. Tony was not as blessed. He had been thrown against the door with a sickening thud and Pepper flying into him did not help matters much. The crash of the car hid the crack that his ribs made when he hit the door and the darkness hid the black bruises that were forming on his chest and shoulder and the blood rolling down from his hairline where his head hit the window.

"Tony? Are you alright?" Pepper asked as her voice cracked with concern. The low groan and the almost imperceptible shake of his head 'no' was all it took for her to go into over drive.

She tossed her cell phone to Happy and told him to call 911 as quick as possible as Pepper gently tried to move Tony out from the side of the door with as little pain as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

Whenever an ambulance and police cars go speeding through Malibu, paparazzi and reporters are sure to follow like sharks to a wounded fish. There's always a chance to get the next hot story, no matter who may get hurt to get it.

Tony had managed to get to the edge of the seat to nearly get out of the car as he heard the sirens. He looked up through the rain to see the red lights and then the hundreds of cars which undoubtedly contained the vipers and rats that preyed on him since he was a child. As he forced himself to stay seated upright, the pain through his chest and shoulder was so hideous that it was bringing tears to his eyes as he used every bit of self-control to not scream. He was hoping the damn medics would hurry up, patch him up and let him go home before the feeding frenzy started.

Pepper stood just to the side of her injured boss, helping him silently to stay upright as she gave him a handkerchief to put against the bleeding cut on his head as they both got drenched with the pouring rain.

The minutes past by agonizingly slow before the ambulance and three LAPD police cars pulled up to the accident scene with only one car. Hogan started to give his explanation of what happened while the paramedics took one look at Tony and called for a stretcher.

"I am not going to the hospital." He said upon seeing what was going towards him.

"I would feel better if you let them check you over. You can barely sit upright." Pepper said gently, instantly softening Tony's tone.

"I am not staying there though. In, patch up and out." He returned, making sure that he was heard by Pepper and the paramedics as he was helped into the ambulance with Pepper right behind him.

Every bump and turn on the short ride to the hospital sent sharp pains ripping through Tony's chest and shoulder, making it harder for him not to scream and somewhat embarrass himself.

As the pain seriously took hold, everything went a little blurry and Tony really didn't focus on much until the doctors were trying to throw Pepper out.

"She stays or I go with her." He said firmly as he grabbed the wrist of the closest doctor.

"Sir, there are confidentiality issues…"

"Anything you have to tell me you can say in front of her. If you can't deal with this, then I am walking out of here."

The doctors reluctantly acquiesced to Tony's demand then started to get to work on him, nearly ripping his very expensive shirt that had blood stains on it. Once his shirt was opened and the arc reactor was revealed, the medical staff froze in their place before trying to get at it.

"Do not touch that." Tony said coldly and with a warning glare to back off.

"Any more demands?" one doctors countered, clearly getting annoyed with Tony's behavior.

"Yeah…get the damn x-rays done so I can go home."

Wordlessly, Tony was wheeled down to x-ray, had his chest and shoulder scanned and immobilized and then returned to where Pepper was waiting.

She gave him a small smile when he came back in and pulled up a chair next to the stretcher so she could sit next to him and try to keep him calm before something else pissed him off.

It was another two hours before the doctor returned with the films and the bad news.

"Well, from what I can ascertain, you have four cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder." The doctor said rather blandly, as if he were reading the ingredients in his morning cereal.

"And that means?" Tony interjected.

"That means we are going to have to knock your shoulder back into place which will hurt like hell." The doctor replied as he took a hold of Tony's wrist and pulled until he heard a pop.

At the moment his shoulder was put back in place, Tony screamed in agony since he wasn't warned and could not prepare himself. "Think next time you can give me a damn warning." He ground out.

"And as for the ribs, they will take six to eight weeks to knit back together so your activity will be rather limited until it heals. I will prescribe a strong pain reliever and the soft bandage must be worn during all waking hours…regardless. Now, I would like to keep you here for observation…"

"Not a chance in hell." Tony interjected as he snatched the prescription from the doctor's hand and painfully slid from the stretcher and slowly walked out with Pepper's assistance.

Once clear of the ever offending emergency room, Pepper and Tony were back out in the rain with the reality of not having a mode of transportation back to the mansion. "Now what?" Tony asked as one of the police cars drove up.

"I have contacted Colonel Rhodes, sir, and he should be arriving momentarily." Happy stated as he stepped out of the car to his boss's question.

Tony was visibly relieved at this news. Thank whatever gods there were for Rhodey again. Afghanistan, now and countless other times when Tony needed his ass bailed out.

Just as Rhodey was pulling up, the officer stopped and turned to Tony and Pepper. "We will need your statements about the accident as well. It looks like a wet road but from what Mr. Hogan has said, it was a hit and run."

"Can this wait until morning? It has been a rather difficult night." Pepper asked and the officer reluctantly agreed before leaving.

James Rhodes stepped out of his truck and smiled at his best friend and his assistant. "I leave you alone for two days and this is what happens?" he asked with a small laugh.

"Not now, Rhodey. Just get us the hell out of here." Tony said darkly.

It was well past three in the morning when they at last arrived home. Exhaustion was written over everyone's faces and it was clearly understandable. Jim took his cue and helped Tony out of the truck and into the house before leaving him in Pepper's capable hands.

"Call me if you need anything. Understood?" Rhodey told Pepper quietly.

"Yes and thank you." She replied before helping Tony to make the slow and painful walk up to his bedroom.

Now, nearly 3:30, Tony eased his broken body on to his bed as Pepper helped him to get changed into something easier to sleep in.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes sir?"

"I want you to turn off my alarm clock and if I see one bit of light come through those windows before I want to I swear that you are getting reprogrammed into a DOS game." Tony snapped as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants while Pepper turned her head, not that she hadn't seen worse.

"Understood sir." Jarvis replied as the windows went black.

Now, Tony could finally try to relax completely. He laid down and reached for Pepper's hand as she pulled his blankets up for him. "Thank you." He whispered as he gazed up at her eyes with naked sincerity. No masks, no games…just Tony.

"Get some sleep. I'll clear your schedule for the next few days." Pepper whispered softly as she brushed a piece of hair away from his face.

His eyes closed under her gentle touch and Tony was out before Pepper left the room.

Pepper had managed to catch a small nap in one of the guest bedrooms before waking at 7:30 to get started on what she had to do to let Tony have the time to recover. She went down to the living room and turned the TV on low as she flipped open her laptop and started gathering the numbers she needed to reschedule everything. Her fingers had just started dialing when one article caught her attention.

"Last night along the Pacific Coast highway and apparent hit and run took place sometime after midnight. It has been reported that a black SUV purposely hit a Lexus that was owned by none other than Iron Man himself, Tony Stark, the CEO of Stark Industries. Oddly, this accident occurred only a few days before the anniversary of the accident that killed his parents, Howard and Maria Stark. Hospital reports claim that Mr. Stark was injured in the crash but released after treatment. The LAPD are asking for any information in apprehending the driver of the SUV. From Malibu…"

Pepper cursed under her breath when she heard this. She had forgotten what day it was and figured why Tony was so moody. Usually she remembered when this particular anniversary occurred because Tony liked to visit their gravesite on it and he needed her to be strong for him when he could not be. She must be hanging around Tony too much to be forgetting dates, like he has a tendency to do with her birthday. Pepper flipped the channel to anything but the news and tried to figure out how she could fix this without upsetting Tony too much.


	3. Chapter 3

The peace and tranquility of the next day was quite welcome in Pepper's opinion. Despite the fact that she had to rearrange Tony's schedule for weeks and find a way to fix the point that she forgot what anniversary it was today at first, everything was relatively serene and uneventful. While Tony slept like the dead, she answered the numerous emails and returned phone calls and the only thing that was left on the schedule was hers and Tony's report on the accident in the afternoon.

While it may have been peace and tranquility where Pepper was sitting, a storm was ready to blow for Tony. He had been granted a few hours of rest before the nightmares started. Only flashes of images came at first…twisted steel, blinding lights, screaming. His mind raged war with itself as it so often did since he had returned from his three months of captivity in Hell itself. When the images finally won out, it was not the Terrorists in Afghanistan but the tragic wreck that had taken his parents' lives and left a scar on his since that day. As the images moved over the mangled scene, Tony was fighting to wake up. He did not want to see this…not again after this long when he in reality didn't even see it when it happened. Just as the image was about to go over his parents' faces, Tony awoke and bolted upright, screaming out in both physical and emotional pain.

It took a few moments to catch his breath and full return to the waking world in the comfort of his own bedroom. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and was grateful that Jarvis had listened.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes sir?  
"What time is it?"

"It is ten after twelve, sir. You have actually been asleep for over nine hours."

Tony was actually a bit surprised that he had managed that feat without being hung over.

"Is Pepper here yet?"  
"Yes sir. She never left. She has been working in the living room since she awoke this morning."

Tony was pleased that she had stayed but a little upset that she didn't get any rest after what had happened. He slowly moved to get out of bed, wincing in agony as he moved from the door. Just as he was about to open the door, Jarvis interrupted.

"Sir, I would suggest a shirt might be in order."

"Why? It's just Pepper and she may enjoy it." Tony replied with a smirk, knowing it always made Pepper blush when he went without a shirt. He had caught her looking on occasion. "And it is my house."

"She is not alone, sir."

Tony paused and his smile faded. "Who is with her?" he asked with a tinge of jealousy in his voice.

"Ms. Potts is giving her deposition to the Los Angeles police office that arrived some time ago. I believe she is trying to stall so she didn't have to wake you.  
"So I guess I have to be a good boy then." Tony said as he grabbed a black t-shirt from his chair and padded down the hall in his bare feet and descended into the living room.

"Thank you, Ms. Potts. Now if I can just get a word with your boss, I can be on my way." The officer stated.

"I am sure Mr. Stark will be here shortly…" Pepper started as she saw the detective's eyes shift towards the stairs. She turned and saw Tony quite painfully making his way down to the living room. As she got up to help Tony, she could only assume that the officer was more used to seeing the very public version of Tony Stark in Armani instead of the more ragged version in a t-shirt and sweatpants that had been clearly slept in.

"I am sorry to disturb you, sir, but I must take your statement for the accident report."

"I am afraid I won't be much help." Tony replied as Pepper helped him to sit of the couch with an audible grunt of pain. "I was asleep when we were hit and the SUV was gone by the time I woke up. I didn't see anything."

The detective made a few notes without saying anything. "Thank you. We will be in touch if we discover anything." He said as he got up to leave.

"One question. Where exactly is my car?" Tony inquired.

The detective turned around and handed Tony a card of the garage where his car sat in ruins before excusing himself to leave again.

Tony handed the card to Pepper and shifted to try to get more comfortable. "I can already tell where this is going to end up." He said dryly.

Pepper pocketed the card and gave Tony the remote. "I have cleared your schedule for the day." She said, seeing if he would bring up is usual tradition.

"Good, I would like to do two things today." Tony said in a flat tone. "You know what I want to do first but second, I want to see the car."

Pepper nodded in understanding, but hoping that it would not cause him much pain. "When would you like to go?"

"As soon as possible. I want to get cleaned up but I am afraid I am going to need a little help." He asked, a little embarrassed.

"I am not doing that, Tony." Pepper piped up quick, having an image of giving him a sponge bath in her mind.

"I am not asking that but if a beautiful woman, like you, offered to give me a sponge bath, I would most definitely not turn that down." Tony replied with a smirk. "I can't redo the bandages on my own. That is what I need help with."

Pepper smiled to put her boss a little more at ease. "Just call me when you need me."

Tony kissed her hand before heaving himself off the couch and trudging back to his bathroom to take a shower.

When forty-five minutes had passed and Pepper had not heard a sound, she was beginning to get concerned. She was tempted to go up first but hesitated.

"Jarvis? Is Mr. Stark alright?" she asked, giving herself and Tony a little warning if necessary.

"Somewhat. Ms. Potts." Jarvis replied. "Apparently Mr. Stark thought that this would have been easier and he is in a disturbing amount of pain considering the language I have heard from him."

"Does he need help?"

"Yes, but he is refusing to let me call you or ask for it himself."

Pepper had to laugh at how Tony was trying to keep his pride. "Please warn Mr. Stark that I am coming up and he had better cover up anything he doesn't want me to see."

"Of course, Ms. Potts."

Pepper ascended the stairs and knocked on Tony's bedroom door before slowly opening it. As she peeked in, she saw Tony sitting on the edge of his bed in only a towel, looking considerably distressed. The bruises along his ribs disturbed her a bit. Such a dark shade of purple does not belong on skin.

Tony looked over as he saw Pepper coming in and looked up. "Traitor. You forget who programmed you." He shouted to Jarvis.

"I did not forget, sir. I was looking out for your best interests by overriding you."

Tony gave Jarvis a very rude gesture before looking in Pepper's direction. "I need help." He said quietly. "I found it was easier to move with the bandages on…even to get dressed."

Pepper just smiled but said nothing as she took the bandage and started to wrap it around his chest.

Tony was looking down at Pepper's red hair with a smile as she helped him, becoming intoxicated by the smell just of her shampoo.

"Will there be anything else, Mr. Stark?" Pepper said with a smile as she looked up when she finished.

"Not at the moment, Ms. Potts. Unless you want to help me get dressed?"

"I think you may be able to handle that on your own." Pepper said with a small laugh as she excused herself.

It was another half an hour before Tony emerged again in a dark t-shirt, which Pepper wondered how much pain that caused to get on, and a surprisingly nice pair of jeans which Pepper did not believe Tony actually owned. He has jeans that aren't ripped to hell and covered in grease?

They silently fell into the routine that they had done every year. Pepper was curious if any of the previous assistants had even bothers or were considered worthy enough for this.

Pepper drove because she new Tony would not be able to, this year not only emotionally but physical limitations as well. They stopped at a florist on the way to the cemetery for flowers to put on the gravesite. None of this had to be said, it was all understood with a look after so many years.

Pepper drove up close to the headstone. It wasn't a large stone but it was visible from the road, just simple black marble with _**STARK**_ in large letters along the top. Tony got out alone and went over to the stone, laying the flowers down and saying a few words only meant for his parents to hear.

Pepper let him have his privacy during this, not wanting to intrude. If he needed her, he asked for her. She watched as his body movements expressed his grief – bowed head, slumped shoulders. When he turned to come back to the car, Pepper could always tell when Tony had been crying even though he tried to wipe the tears away before getting to the car.

Tony slid back into the car and leaned back into the seats, closing his eyes. "I want to see the car." He said firmly.

It was a short drive to the garage where the Lexus laid in pieces. The whole right side of the car had been bent in. The left front fender was gone and the windshield had been shattered.

"How did I get out of this one?" Tony said aloud to himself.

The mechanic came over and told them that they were still waiting for the insurance adjuster for the damage assessment.

"It's totaled." Tony said simply. "I can see that from here." He was telling the truth but the mechanic all but ignored him.

Tony was always quieter on the nights that he visited his parents. With an empty pizza box on the table and a movie playing, Tony was stretched out on the couch with his head in Pepper's lap while she ran her fingers softly through his hair.

"You know Pepper, this isn't a very professional thing to do." He said sleepily. "It's more of a girlfriend thing to do."

"Would you like me to stop?"

"On the contrary, I am enjoying this thoroughly and I want it to continue." He said as he let his eyes slip closed. "And speaking of girlfriend…"

Pepper had to choose her words carefully. "You forget that you left me on that roof alone and I never got my drink. I think you need to make up for that first before I consider the girlfriend question."

Tony opened his eyes and shifted a bit so he could look at her. There was a glimmer of hope there. "So if I manage to make it up to you in a manner that meets your satisfaction, you would give me a yes?"

"Let's just say the matter would be put under some serious consideration." She replied smartly.


	4. Chapter 4

When Pepper arrived at the mansion the following morning, she was surprised to see Tony already up and sitting on the couch in his pajamas with a bowl of cereal. He was never up this early unless forced or he had nightmares that wouldn't let him sleep.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark." She said pleasantly

"Good morning." Tony said with a smile as he flipped through channels. "And what is with the Mr. Stark? Yesterday it was Tony. You know what I like."

"Sorry, Tony. Force of habit." Pepper replied. "What are you doing up so early?"

He didn't look at her when she asked this question but at the TV. "I had a lot going through my head and I couldn't sleep." He said quietly, not really wanting to go into his nightmares with her. "But since I have been up, I thought of a few things that you could do for me." Tony stated as he handed her a list with a bunch of scribbles on it that were supposed to pass as words.

Pepper took the list as she tried to decipher Tony's handwriting."Pick up dry cleaning, drop off bank deposit, post office for stamps, and get new plant to put in living room?" she asked as she tried to read off the list.

"Yeah, I am in the mood for some greenage in here." Tony replied matter of factly.

"Is there anything else, sir?" Pepper asked cautiously, not knowing what to expect.

"No, Ms. Potts. And now sir? Make up your mind." Tony countered before finishing his breakfast.

Pepper just smiled and grabbed her keys and left on Tony's strange to-do list.

Once she was out the door, Tony was peeking out of the window to make sure she was gone before he put his plan into works.

"Sir, those were rather mundane errands that anyone else could have done." Jarvis interjected.

"I had to get her out of the house and you said you would help me. This has to go perfectly." He answered his A.I. before grabbing his cell phone.

It was early evening when Pepper finally returned from Tony's little scavenger hunt. She had to admit the plant was the most difficult part, finally settling on a hibiscus. She walked into the house to find it strangely silent…no music, no TV, no Tony. What was even more offsetting to her were the darkened windows with a sign on them – '_**No Peeking Potts – Tony**_.'

"Jarvis? Where is Mr. Stark?" Pepper called out as she put down the packages.

"Mr. Stark is in his workroom, Ms. Potts."

"Could you please explain what all of this is about?"

"I am not allowed to, Ms. Potts. Mr. Stark swore me to secrecy under penalty of unplugging and becoming a science experiment for as he put it 'zit faced high school freshmen that don't know a keyboard from car keys.'"

Pepper was getting more confused by the second. "How long has he been working on this?"

"Since you left this morning. He has been very busy." Jarvis replied before pausing. "Mr. Stark requests that you relax and get comfortable. He says he will be up momentarily."

Pepper set her purse down and sat down, trying to relax but that wasn't the easiest thing at the moment when she knew Tony was up to something.

She was right. Tony was up to something. From his garage, he was watching her confusion on his security feed. Once her back was turned, he sent the command for the windows to open silently. On the balcony was a small table set for two with candlelight. He smiled and told Jarvis to turn on the music as he walked up smoothly from his garage in his tuxedo.

"May I have this dance?" he asked suavely as he held out his hand to Pepper.

Pepper turned at the sound of his voice and was shocked but took his hand to help her stand and then placed her other on his shoulder as he led. Jarvis turned the volume to the right level as they danced.

_Tonight it's very clear  
As we're both lying here  
There's so many things I want to say  
I will always love you  
I would never leave you alone _

_  
_As Tony held her close, Pepper heard him softly signing the lyrics to her as they danced and the song he chose fit them very well. She was getting one surprise after another here.

_  
Sometimes I just forget  
Say things I might regret  
It breaks my heart to see you crying  
I don't wanna lose you  
I could never make it alone_

I am a man who will fight for your honor  
I'll be the hero you're dreaming of  
We'll live forever  
Knowing together that we  
Did it all for the glory of love

You'll keep me standing tall  
You'll help me through it all  
I'm always strong when you're beside me  
I have always needed you  
I could never make it alone

I am a man who will fight for your honor  
I'll be the hero you've been dreaming of  
We'll live forever  
Knowing together that we  
Did it all for the glory of love

Just like a knight in shining armor  
From a long time ago  
Just in time I will save the day  
Take you to my castle far away

I am a man who will fight for your honor  
I'll be the hero you're dreaming of  
We're gonna live forever  
Knowing together that we  
Did it all for the glory of love

We'll live forever  
Knowing together that we  
Did it all for the glory of love

We did it all for love  
We did it all for love  
We did it all for love  
We did it all for love

As the son faded, they slowed but Tony did not let go.

"How are you doing this? You could barely move yesterday." Pepper asked as Tony led her out to the balcony and pulled her chair out for her.

"A lot of really strong pain killers and determination." He said with a laugh as he opened the bottle of wine and poured it for her. "Sorry, I didn't have the liquor in the house to make a proper martini. I should have added it to the shopping list." He added as he sat down.

A waiter came out shortly after with dinner from Pepper's favorite Italian restaurant, not that she knew that at first. "You cooked?" she asked nervously.

"No. I know how to order take out. I just went up a few notches from where I called." Tony said, trying to calm her as they started eating.

As they shared what was one of the best meals Pepper had ever had, she was really getting puzzled about all of this. Why now? Where was all of this coming from?

When they were finished, Pepper got up and started to leave since it was getting late.

"No need to rush off so quickly." Tony said as he stopped her. "I have more planned. Dinner and a movie…your choice."

Pepper didn't know how to react to this but what came out didn't sound right. "All of this is really unnecessary. Why are you doing this, Tony?" she asked.

"Because you said I had to make it up to you for leaving you on the roof. I was hoping that this made up for it and went beyond." Tony replied as his smile faded away.

"But why now? What else caused this?"

"Ever stop to think that I may have wanted to. I care about you very much and I wanted to show it." Tony said sincerely.

"No, I hadn't." Pepper said quietly.

When those words came out of Pepper's mouth, Tony nearly felt his heart stop in his chest. He had tried so hard to make this perfect and it blew up in his face. The one woman he could say he truly ever loved didn't feel the same. He couldn't even respond to what she said with how hurt he was. Tony just stepped back away from her and went inside the darkened house and down to the garage where he locked the door behind him.

Pepper felt the tears sting her eyes as she watched Tony walk away from her as everything came crashing down on her. He did love her and he was trying to show it and she had denied her feelings about him for so long that she couldn't take it all in. She slowly walked back into the house and fell on to the couch as a few tears slipped from her eyes.

"I really messed this up, didn't I, Jarvis?"

"If I may say so, yes you did." Jarvis replied. "Mr. Stark had really put his heart into it."

"How upset is he?"

"Very."

"Upset angry or upset sad?" Pepper asked as she began to feel even worse for hurting Tony's feelings.

"Upset sad." Jarvis answered. "I believe a profound apology may be in order."

"I believe you may be right, Jarvis. He's in the garage, correct?" Pepper asked as she wiped her face.

"Correct, Ms. Potts."

That was all Pepper needed to know to go and try to fix things.

Down in the garage, Tony had already taken off his jacket, tie and shirt and threw a t-shirt on as he sat down in front of his hot rod but he couldn't work on it. He placed his hand over the arc reactor, feeling the pain that was boring through his heart as tears started to fall down his cheeks.

Pepper came down the stairs and noticed his back was to the door. She typed in her code but the door didn't open. She tried again and was still unsuccessful. It was on the third try that Tony saw her there and allowed the door to open but he still didn't look at her.

Pepper walked in and she could feel the pain coming off of Tony in waves and the occasional sniff she heard caused her to start crying again. "I am so sorry." She started. "No one has ever done anything like that for me before, especially not one of the world's most eligible bachelors and I didn't know how to react."

"Happiness could have been a good route to go." Tony replied dryly as he sniffed again.

"I was happy but I was shocked and it came out badly." Pepper tried to explain.

Tony turned on his stool and didn't even try to hide the fact that he was crying. "When I told you that you are all I have in this world, I meant it. I care very much for you. In fact, I love you. Just the thought of seeing you again is what got me out of those caves. Just seeing you when I got off that plane made me feel a thousand times better. You told me to make it up to you and that was what I tried to do. If you have no feelings for me at all, please tell me and I'll stop trying."

Pepper felt her heart break in two at Tony's words. "When I was told that you were taken, it felt like part of me had died inside. Getting through every day without you was nearly impossible. It was then I realized what I had been denying for so long that I did love you. Seeing you come back alive was one of the happiest moments of my life and every day since then the place in my heart for you has grown bigger. I have loved you longer than you knew and I just didn't have the courage to say it."

Tony then got up from the stool he had been sitting on and gently wiped away the tears on her cheek with his thumb before leaning in and kissing her lips softly. As he broke away, he looked right into her eyes as he held her. "So what does this mean to my question?"

"That I will be your girlfriend if you would still have me." Pepper replied. No sooner the words had left her lips, she found herself in a warm and comfortable embrace. "Now, I believe you said that was dinner and a movie…my choice."

Tony nodded against her before pulling back. "I had the impression you didn't want to." He said cautiously. "I hope you don't have some horrible chick flick in mind."

"No. It is not some horrible chick flick but it is a surprise." Pepper said as she took his hand and led him up to the living room.

"I thought I was the one giving surprises tonight." Tony commented as he sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to him.

"I have actually been working on this for sometime. I just needed the right moment to give it to you." Pepper said as she sat next to him and leaned into his shoulder. "Jarvis, could you please start the movie?"

"With pleasure, Ms. Potts."

The screen lit up first with the wedding of Tony's parents and then moved to bringing home Tony as a baby and his childhood. All the pictures and home movies she could find. They moved through his childhood and all his achievements through the eyes of his parents' camera.

Tony was actually choked up at this. He hadn't seen most of these in years and seeing these felt like his parents were still around. "How did you do this?" he asked her with a small smile.

"I had help from Rhodey and Jarvis. They dug up all the videos and pictures and I put them together. I didn't close the file though." Pepper said with a knowing smile.

"Why not?"

"I left it open so you can add future events to it."

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Glory of Love – lyrics by Peter Cetera. I chose this song because the lyrics did seem very appropriate._


	5. Chapter 5

The winds of Santa Ana were kicking up something fierce that winter and making everyone do things that were not in their normal character. Pepper was again waiting up late for Tony who just had to go off as Iron Man when the wildfires started to pick up to the south. She was wondering what he could actually do to stop them because all she saw Iron Man do dealt with making fires – not putting them out. As the fog started to roll in around the bottom of the house and enveloping the waves, Pepper heard the familiar banging and swearing that accompanied Tony's return home that she had grown quite accustomed to over the last few months.

As she descended from the bedrooms to the garage, Pepper mused at how her life had changed while still staying the same. She saw less and less of her apartment until all of her things magically found their way to Tony's house. It was also far easier to keep track of Tony and keep him on time for things. It is easier to nudge someone to get moving when they are always only in the next room.

Pepper peeked into the garage first, giving herself a mental preparation of what she may see. She got used to seeing scratches and dents but bullet holes and other such damage still frightened her. She turned the corner and found a very black Iron Man. The suit was covered with soot and ash from head to toe as the robots disassembled it to free Tony. As soon as the mask was off, Tony let out a few harsh coughs to clear what was left of the smoke out of his lungs.

"I should have brought the dummy over here for help." Tony said with a laugh as he pointed to the one robot that had a bit of an overzealous nature with fire prevention. "It would have been a lot easier with his trigger happiness." He added as he shrugged free of the last bits of armor and went over to Pepper and kissed her softly.

Pepper leaned her head on Tony's shoulder as she embraced him, taking in his own unique scent as she reassured herself that he was back in one piece.

"I have an idea." Tony spoke up finally. "How about you and me go for a ride? I saw a great spot as I was flying over that I want to show you."

Pepper looked up and then looked over at Tony's armor and shook her head. "You are not flying us there."

Tony started laughing. "I was thinking more of one of the motorcycles but if you want to fly with me, we can have a lot of fun up there and I promise nothing to make you throw up."

"The bike is fine, Anthony."

"Ouch. Only my mother would call me that and when I heard that I knew I was in trouble but not as much if she threw in the middle name."

Pepper playfully punched him in the shoulder at that comment. Tony played up the injury just a bit before pulling on his leather jacket.

"You may want your jacket. The winds have been switching from hot to cold without warning." He suggested to her.

Pepper, taking Tony's suggestion, grabbed one of his and slipped it on before climbing on the back of his motorcycle.

Tony looked back with a smirk before starting the engine. "That one looks better on you than it does me." He added before peeling out of the garage.

Tony sped down the Pacific Coast Highway with Pepper holding on tight to his waist to Castellammare, where there was a great view over the Santa Monica Bay at LA as well as the beaches. He parked his bike on the over look and allowed Pepper to get off as he leaned back against the seat.

"I am kind of glad that you said you didn't want to fly here. I haven't found a way to give Iron Man pockets yet." Tony commented as he watched Pepper's hair blow in the Santa Anas.

"Pockets? Why on earth would you need pockets?" Pepper asked as she caught Tony fishing around for something.

"For this," he said as he pulled a light blue box out of his pocket and knelt down on one knee. "I said it a while ago that you are all I have and you are the only one who makes me feel like I can fly without rockets. Pepper, will you marry me?"

Tony opened the box to reveal a diamond that sparkled even with only moonlight. It was a round cut solitaire with a smaller diamond on each side set in yellow gold.

Pepper couldn't breathe at first when she saw the ring and was struggling to find her voice as her head slowly moved up and down.

"Pepper, I can't see your answer. I may need to hear it." Tony asked with a nervous twinge to his voice.

"Yes…of course yes!" she finally shouted as she kissed him deeply as he slipped the ring on her finger. "When did you get this?"

"You know the last time that I went to New York and I told you that the board meeting was going to end at around six. Well, it ended a little earlier than that and I made a little stop on Fifth Avenue. You know that whole two months salary thing? I make quite a bit in two months. I think I nearly gave the sales girl a heart attack when I said how much I was going to spend."

"I would think she would be used to such purchases from Donald Trump." Pepper said with a small laugh as she wrapped her arms around Tony's neck.

"I think she was new but she definitely made her sales goals for the next year."

As the wind started to shift direction, Tony suggested that they head back home. "I think I inhaled enough smoke for tonight."


	6. Chapter 6

It was well after two in the morning when Tony looked at the clock on his computer screen. After coming back with Pepper and she went to bed, he had to fix up his armor. The soot would have to be removed at least before it clogged up all the equipment. He had been working for over three hours cleaning, polishing and banging out the dents. When he reached up to stretch out his back, a heavy pressure started to set in his chest. Tony rubbed the spot just to the left of his arc reactor, hoping it would pass but with no such luck. It started to feel like an elephant was sitting on his chest and it was getting harder to breathe.

"PEPPER!" he shouted up the stairs while he still could. The pain clenched around his chest even more and he fell off the stool he was sitting on to the floor. "Jarvis! Call 911. I think I'm having a heart attack." He rasped out as he curled up on himself.

Jarvis quickly did as he was instructed before waking Ms. Potts. "Ms. Potts, Mr. Stark needs you in the garage immediately. The ambulance is on its way."

Pepper bolted upright in bed at the sound of Jarvis' voice and moved even quicker when she heard ambulance. She threw a sweatshirt on over her pajamas as she ran down the stairs and screamed when she saw Tony on the floor. "You can't leave me, yet. Not now." She told him as she cradled his head in her lap.

"I'm not planning on it but something is wrong…" Tony rasped out as the sound of sirens could be heard coming up his driveway.

Once at the hospital, Tony was whisked away, leaving Pepper a frantic wreck in the waiting room. She stepped out for only a second to call Rhodey and tell him what happened. It was hard to get out clearly as she was trying not to cry.

James Rhodes clearly broke a few speed laws with how quickly he got to the hospital. He saw Pepper in the waiting room, seriously about to crumble as he gave her a hug. "Where is he?"

"ICU. They took him right there and I haven't heard anything just yet. They won't tell me anything because they don't believe I am his fiancée." Pepper explained.

Rhodey took a double take at the last part of what she had said. "Did you say fiancée? When did this happen?"

"Tonight. Before all of this." Pepper said as she held out her left hand.

"Well, I guess congratulations are in order but I think Tony would want to hear them as well."

The hours went by agonizingly slow for Pepper and Rhodey as they sat in the waiting room for some news. It was near six in the morning before a doctor even dared to show himself.

"I am looking for the family of Anthony Stark."

"I am his fiancée." Pepper said as she bolted up from the chair she was in as Rhodey joined her. "How is he?"

The doctor eyed her over for a bit and figured she was telling the truth considering the speed which she leapt up. "He'll be fine. It was just a bit of dysrhythmia from overexertion and stress. He'll have to stay here for observation today and he'll be released tomorrow under the strict orders that he relax and take a small break from his extracurricular activities that I see on the news so often." He explained, hinting at Iron Man.

Pepper let out a huge sigh of relief at this. "Can we see him?"

"Yes, but only for a short time. Room 138."

Pepper and Rhodey thanked him and then raced down the hall to the room where Tony was in. They opened the door slowly and peeked into the darkened room to find Tony hooked up to so many different machines and seemingly asleep. Pepper stepped in first and pulled up the chair next to Tony's beside, brushing a few hairs off his face.

"I told you I wasn't going anywhere." Tony rasped out as his eyes opened.

Pepper kissed him deeply at the sound of his voice. "Don't you ever do that to me again."

"I am not planning on it. This is no fun at all."

"You know, I would rather be standing up with you as your best man at your wedding than giving the eulogy at your funeral." Rhodey told his best friend, trying to lighten the mood even though he was scared as hell, much like when he found Tony in Afghanistan.

"So I guess Pepper told you the big news, huh?" Tony asked tiredly.

"I told her I would save the congratulations until you were both together. So when is it?" Rhodey replied.

"We didn't get the chance to discuss it because someone had to go fix his armor after playing in a wild fire." Pepper commented as Tony looked away, playing that it wasn't him.

"Well, you won't have to worry about that for a little while since the doc told our boy here that Iron Man is grounded for a bit." Rhodey added in.

"How long do actually think I am going to be able to sit still for? Grounding me never worked for my parents." Tony said with a tired laugh.

"Pretty damn long even if I have to kick your ass every day to remind you until it gets through your thick head and you get clearance by the guys in white coats and the redhead here with the big diamond on her finger." Rhodey countered.

"You all don't play fair. What is this? Gang up on Tony day?" Tony whined. "Aren't you all supposed to be nice to me right now? Especially since I am lying here all incapacitated."

Pepper kissed Tony's lips to shut him up. "Go to sleep. The sooner you do that, the sooner you get out."

That spoke volumes to Tony and he bid them good night as he let his eyes close and drift off as Rhodey and Pepper camped out in two chairs.


	7. Chapter 7

It had only taken two minutes of his so called 'grounding' before Tony started getting restless and started to drive Pepper nuts. A bored genius whose mind goes a mile a minute is a terrible cocktail.

Pepper had fortunately thought ahead and warned Jarvis about how Tony was supposed to be resting and not playing with anything even remotely dealing with Iron man. Good thing she did because not the first five minutes he was home, Tony headed down to the garage to work on his armor.

He punched in his access code to the Iron Man files and an error message came up.

"Access denied, sir." Jarvis stated.

"What the hell? What do you mean access denied?" Tony roared.

"Ms. Potts thought it better for your recovery if you find less stressful ways to bide your time."

"This is bull shit." Tony spat before storming up the stairs. "Pepper, I want an explanation. Why the hell am I locked out of my own system?"

"No Iron Man right now…not even working on the suit. Do anything else but that. I care too much about you to see you sheet white and lying on that floor again." Pepper countered, not even flinching at the tone of voice Tony used.

Tony reluctantly conceded the point to her and flopped on the couch and flipped on the TV, rapidly surfing through anything that mentioned his name. "So, do you have any suggestions as to what I can do?" he asked as he finally settled on a movie.

"Actually yes." Pepper said as she pulled a box out of her bag. It wasn't too big but it was wrapped in red paper with a gold bow. "Since I am not even fond of you spending all your hours downstairs since I know what you will do, I bought you a present to keep you occupied."

Tony perked up a bit at the mention of a present. He always liked getting gifts and he tore into it like a kid at Christmas. "A DS?" he questioned, though not ungrateful. "You know I already have an Xbox 360, PS3 and a Wii downstairs right?"

"Yes, but that still requires you to be downstairs where I know you will get into trouble. This way, I can sort of keep you out of trouble. There's more to the gift that you haven't opened." Pepper said with a smile.

Tony tore into the small box attached to the DS and found two games inside – Brain Age 1 and 2 – and he started to laugh as he opened up the first one.

"Let's see how genius you really are." Pepper said with a big smile as she started to laugh.

"You know I am going to beat some of these things in like seconds, don't you?" Tony asked.

"Yes but I think you'll have fun doing it."

More than three hours had gone by since Pepper had given Tony his gift and he had not moved from the spot on the couch where he was laying. She was amazed at how fast he could actually complete the puzzles and it was amusing to watch him celebrate his own victories. It had taken two more before the power started to die and it needed to be plugged in. Just the video game was starting to drift off, so was Tony.

Once Pepper had heard Tony's breathing even out, she snuck the game away from and set on the table and covered him with a blanket and a soft kiss to let him sleep for a while.

"My compliments, Ms. Potts." Jarvis interjected.

"Thank you but why, Jarvis?"

"No one has ever been able to exhaust Mr. Stark except for Mr. Stark. Well done." The A.I. replied.

It was evening by the time Tony awoke from his nap and immediately reached for the video game before Pepper stopped him.

"Food first and then playtime." She teased him as she set his dinner down in front of him and gave him a hint to get started.

"And people said I was spoiled before." Tony laughed between bites. "What is this going to do to me?"

"It's called taking care of someone you love, Tony. I am doing this because I love you and I want you better."

"Do I get this every day until my sentence is lifted?"

"Well, you'll have to earn it tomorrow."

"Why?" Tony inquired.

"Because you have two video conferences tomorrow that could not be rescheduled." Pepper replied. "You need to do both of them; on time and with no goofing off before I let you off the hook."

Tony groaned. "So I guess I can't do them in my pjs, huh? They may not take me very seriously then."

"You got it."

"Fine. What are these conferences about anyway and when?" Tony asked as he set his plate down.

"You have a ten a.m. eastern time conference with the Board of Directors about the year in review before they leave for vacation until January…"

"That's seven in the morning!" Tony interrupted. "Couldn't they make it later?"

"No." Pepper said, cutting off his whining. "And you have one at eleven a.m. pacific time with the heads of many of the major car companies about putting arc reactor technology into electric cars. Will there be anything else?"

"No, that will be all." Tony said as he reached for his game.

"We'll have to find you a new assistant after we get married." Pepper said absently, wondering if Tony was even listening.

"Why on earth would I do that?" Tony responded. "No one is better than you and who better than my wife to keep my sorry ass in line."

"You actually think I will still be your employee?" Pepper responded.

"Only if you wish to be but you would not be walking in behind me anymore." Tony stated as he looked up at her instead of at his game. "You would walk in beside me…as my wife."

At 6:15 the next morning, Pepper heard a very loud and annoyed groan from Tony's bedroom when Jarvis woke him.

"You know, there are nicer ways to do that!" Tony called down stairs as he turned on the shower.

"But none that are so effective." Pepper called back as she turned on the espresso machine. Tony would most definitely need at least a double shot.

"You'd be surprised." Tony called back over the shower.

Twenty minutes later, Tony came down actually dressed for business. He had actually listened for once as he took the espresso from Pepper. "Keep those coming. I am going to need them." He mentioned as he went into his office and turned on the lap top and webcams.

Right at the stroke of seven, the Board of Directors of Stark Industries came on the screen.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." Tony started off.

"Good morning, sir. We have to admit that we were surprised that this would be done in this manner."

Tony chose his words carefully. He was still on very shaky ground with the Board and could not afford to alienate them. "I have had some health situations lately and I have been advised to relax and not travel so this was the best I could do."

The Board seemed to take that as a fair response and let Tony continue. He spoke of the advances in arc reactor technology, aeronautics, and nearly every production line that Stark Industries had.

"What about the weapons line, sir? We have been dealing with calls from the Pentagon and beyond after that little stunt of yours."

Tony paused and thought about it for a second. "I know what I did a few months ago was unexpected and sent everything in a tornado but I had my reasons." He said quite seriously. "When I was held captive, the Terrorist cell that held me had a stock pile of our weapons and it disturbed me. I saw innocent people, the ones we were trying to protect, killed by those very weapons. Three soldier died by my weapons trying to protect me. I can tell you it's frightening to see a missile with your own name on it about to explode right next to you. It woke me up about some backwards dealings that had been going on with this company and I jumped to an immediate extreme action until I could sort things out."

"And what have you come up with?"

Tony had been thinking on this for a while. This was his legacy. "I am going to reopen the weapons production line but with a few provisions." He started. "Every product design, purchase order, shipping agreement…anything…goes directly through me. If it does not have my signature on it, it doesn't go anywhere. I also want to know where everything in exactly going. Also, I want to make the items more secure…some sort of access code given just to the commanders so these things do not fall in the wrong hands and if they do, they can't be used."

The Board listened very attentively at what Tony had to say and some of them actually seemed a little surprised that he could really be that well worded. Then a few smiles popped up. "We will see that it is done, Mr. Stark. Have a pleasant holiday and congratulations on your engagement."

"Thank you, same to you." Tony replied as he slumped down in his chair and the screen went black.

Pepper had been listening at the door during most of the meeting and that was the most she had ever heard Tony discuss what happened during those three months. She walked in and found him slumped in the chair with his head in his hands. "Why the change of heart?"

"It was in the best interest of the company." Tony said flatly. "People have families and such. It will also ward off a few of those lawsuits. I just had to change it so what I saw never happens again. Now, I still have to find all that Stane did and get rid of them. My weapons are dangerous but less so in the right hands."

Pepper could hear the pain etched in Tony's voice at this. He really had put some serious thought about all of this and she was proud of him despite the fact that he had to go back on what he said. "It will work out in the end. Things will be fine." She said trying to be reassuring but she could still see the scales in Tony's head weighing this back and forth to see if he had done the right thing. "Can I get you anything?" she asked gently.

Tony nodded as he slid away from his computer for the moment. "Can you grab me something to eat? My stomach is all in knots after that and I need something to settle it." He said softly as he loosened his tie.

"Of course." She replied as she kissed his forehead gently.

By the time Pepper had gotten him a bowl of cereal; Tony had moved from his office and was back on the couch playing his video games. "That was quick." Pepper commented.

"I have two and a half hours until the next one. I wanted to have a little fun here." He said as he took his breakfast and dug in.

Pepper sat down next to him and turned on the financial reports and gasped when she saw the stock ticker at the bottom. "Apparently, everyone liked what you just did."

"Why?" Tony asked in between bites.

"Your stock just jumped seventy points and it's still going up. It's higher now than it was before."

"Well, that will get some people off my back." Tony said, back in that sad deadpan tone he had before as he went back to attacking sudoku puzzles and leaving Pepper to worry about him.


	8. Chapter 8

It was only 10:30 and the Stark mansion was silent except for the sound of the nightly news. The house was so quiet without Tony pondering around. Pepper never realized how much she missed the ever present noises he made when he was doing something until it wasn't there. Tony had gone to bed just after nine, incredibly early for him; leaving Pepper awake to watch the results of the two meetings he actually went to affect their current state of the world. She watched the stock prices soar through the day back to levels they were at before Tony's kidnapping. One day made a world of difference.

It was well after midnight when Pepper finally finished the last email and headed up to join Tony. She was exhausted and still wondered how her fiancé could go for days straight on little to no sleep. Just as she was crawling into bed, she heard something outside the mansion. She shifted to try and see out the window but saw nothing.

The slight noise and Pepper was enough to wake Tony as well.

"Jarvis? What was that?" he asked.

"Apparently, someone is stupid enough to try to break in here."

"Jarvis, lock down the perimeter and the house." Tony ordered.

"Already done, sir and I have notified the police. They will be here in moments."

Tony nodded as he saw the offending person outside the window, heading up to the house. "How much time to I have?" he asked.

"Not enough sir. You'll have to settle for the old fashioned way."

"Old fashioned way for what, Tony?" Pepper asked.

"Making this bastard wish he had never crossed me." Tony said as he pulled his shirt on. "All of this is on the security cameras, right Jarvis?"

"Of course sir. As always." Jarvis replied. "Just a note sir, make sure he hits you first so it is self defense instead of assault."

"Good point. Stay here. I'll be right back." Tony told Pepper as he snuck downstairs to try and give the cops an easier target to arrest.

Once downstairs, Tony was waiting in the darkness as he watched the man try to pick the lock on the door, a nearly impossible feat since it was a computerized lock. It took a few moments but the intruder eventually cracked it and walked inside. From the small amount of light in the room, Tony could see a knife in the hand of the intruder and knew he had to be a little more careful how he handled this.

Pepper was going stir crazy upstairs. She knew Tony had told her to wait upstairs but when exactly did he listen to her. She left the bedroom and peered around the corner to see the man walking around the living room, looking for something to steal. She gasped when she saw Tony behind him and that was just enough to turn on the lights.

The intruder turned at the source of the noise and locked on Pepper. There was no way in hell that Tony was letting anything happen to Pepper and that was when he spoke up.

"Mistake number two." He commented dryly as he came out of the shadow that his stairs had made.

"What was one?" a clearly Middle Eastern voice answered back as he turned to face down a rather imposing Tony Stark.

"Coming in here in the first place."

The knife came out and he tried to slash at Tony, hitting him once with a distinct metal clang.

As he was distracted, Tony took that opportunity and landed a hard right hook to his jaw and floored him. He was still on the floor when the police arrived only seconds afterward.

The police were handcuffing the unconscious person on the floor and then looked to the two residents for some explanation. The adrenaline that had been pushing Tony before had worn off and now his hand was throbbing something terrible with a clear bruising forming on his knuckles.

"I was sort of expecting more damage since this Iron Man involved here." The officer replied.

"There would have been if there had been more time." Tony said dryly as he was taking the ice from Pepper for his hand. "Also, you may want to run his truck. My surveillance picked up that it's painted with two different shades…a sign of major body work needed to be done."

The officer noted it and then paused. "You said he had a Middle Eastern accent. Have any enemies we should know about?"

Tony had a shocked look that quickly transformed into something darker. "If you paid any attention at all and realize what I do for a living you would know that there are a lot of enemies that I have." He stated before dismissing him.

After the police left, Pepper had to try to calm Tony down. She could still see his temper boiling underneath the surface and she had a few tricks to diffuse it. Changing the subject always worked well. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Rhodey taught me." Tony admitted as he flexed his fingers a few times to loosen them up from the now ugly bruise there. "He was tired of me getting my ass kicked when I was younger so he taught me how to defend myself, probably so he didn't need to all the time."

"How often did you get beat up?" Pepper asked in a concerned tone.

"Rich nerd who likes to shoot his mouth off…all the time."


	9. Chapter 9

It was a very warm day in early July when James Rhodes was watching his best friend work himself into a panic while he was trying not to laugh. It was Tony and Pepper's wedding day and Rhodey seriously wondered if Tony would even make it to the ceremony, which was already set up on the beach by his house.

"Man, if you don't calm down you are going to sweat through that very expensive tux you're wearing, pass out right on your pool deck and Pepper will never forgive you if you are late to this." He commented as he watched Tony pace back and forth along the pool deck with his hands constantly fidgeting. "Don't you have something to do to take your mind off things?"

Tony had never been this nervous in all his life. "Most of the things I could do would lead me to being late to the ceremony," Tony said as he checked his watch. "Which is in two hours. I could really use a drink though."

Rhodey gladly obliged his best friend and tossed him a bottle of water.

Tony caught the bottle and looked at it and then up at Rhodey. "I was more thinking of something harder than this."

"Do you really want to be drunk at your own wedding? There was a reason I had the bachelor party when I did." Rhodey asked.

"Not drunk, just calmed down enough so my hands don't shake." Tony exclaimed as he did take a few gulps from the bottle.

Rhodey was watching his friend's reactions very carefully. He knew if he could keep Tony talking and slightly distracted that he would be fine. If he let Tony sit in silence, that's when his mind went crazy and he was all over the place.

"Why are you so nervous? This Pepper you are marrying, the one woman who has been through hell and back with you. She loves you and I know you love her more than life itself. What do you have to worry about?"

Tony took a deep breath and finally sat down. "I always told myself that if I ever did get married that it would only be once. What if I screw this up royally? It would kill me if I hurt her and especially so if it was something I can't fix."

"By just admitting that, you are not going to screw up." Rhodey reassured him. "Your damned pride will not let you go against something you set your mind to. This is the happiest I have ever seen you and I highly doubt that you will let that slip away." Rhodey saw it in Tony's eyes that he had gotten through to him and it stuck. "Now, do you remember the schedule? Pepper and Jarvis trust me to get your ass there on time."

Tony nodded. "Yes. At eleven is the ceremony here with the small reception for the people I want there afterwards. At five, we go to the Peninsula Beverly Hills for the obligatory big reception with all the right people from Wall Street to Hollywood who are coming for the free food and the bragging rights to say that they were at my wedding." He recited. "Did I miss anything?"

Rhodey was actually impressed. Tony had remembered his schedule without Pepper practically tattooing it to his forehead. "Where are the rings, Tony?"

Tony smiled and patted his right jacket pocket. "Those I would not lose."

"Aren't you supposed to give those to me? I am your best man, right?"

Tony fished the small box out of his pocket and almost reluctantly gave them over to Rhodey.

"Thank you for letting me do my job here." Rhodey said with a laugh. "Marriage license?"

"In my other pocket." Tony reassured him. "Jarvis reminded me six times this morning to grab it."

"Who is picking up Pepper?"

"Happy is after her pictures are done. She insisted on the whole thing that I can't see her before the wedding." Tony stated.

"Where are you two going on a honeymoon again?" Rhodey asked.

"Mediterranean cruise – Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece if I remember right." Tony replied. "We're flying to Barcelona and meeting up with my yacht there. Using my yacht was the only way we could get time alone without paparazzi hounding us at every second."

"How are you keeping them away from the wedding itself? Don't the tabloids usually shell out big bucks for this type of thing?"

"I told every paper and TV show that if I even catch a whiff of even one paparazzo, they will learn what it feels like to have lawyers that get paid a thousand dollars an hour chew their ass apart when I hit them with the biggest law suit they would ever see." Tony said with a confident smirk. "There are certain things that I know I am fair game for with the vultures but today, I am off limits."

"So how many of them pissed their pants when you said that?" Rhodey asked with a laugh, knowing that Tony could be intimidating when he wanted to be.

"At least half of them had to change their shorts." Tony said with a sly smile as he was beginning to relax a bit.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but the Judge has arrived." Jarvis chimed in.

"Send him out here, Jarvis." Tony replied.

"I didn't know you were getting married by a judge." Rhodey asked.

"I figured it was better that way. If I had even tried to get married by a priest, I would have to go to confession and be in the box for months with everything I have done or else I may have been struck by lightening at my own wedding." Tony said, making light of his many vices as the judge appeared in view. "Morning, Your Honor."

"Good morning, Mr. Stark, Colonel Rhodes." The judge replied as he looked around at the absence of people. "Am I incredibly early?"

"No, not at all. Things begin in half an hour." Tony replied. "Why?"

"Where is everyone? I was expecting something much bigger."

"Well my bride is coming with my driver and maybe a maid of honor, Pepper didn't tell me, and me and my best man. That's it." Tony explained.

The judge eyeballed Tony for a moment before accepting the story that he was given. "Well, we should get some particulars out of the way before the bride arrives…signatures and such." He said as he asked Tony for the license and had Tony and Rhodey sign it before heading down to the shore line.

Tony's nerves started to kick up again as he had to wait the last few agonizing minutes before Pepper arrived. He knew she would be early. She was always early like he was nearly always late. He tried taking a few deep breaths to calm down but they were hurting his chest.

"Calm down. Everything will be fine." Rhodey whispered to his friend. No sooner the words were out of his mouth, both of them saw the car pull up and Happy was getting out. "Ready, Iron Man?"

"I think escaping was easier than this." Tony whispered as his eyes moved up and he saw Pepper walking down the pathway to the beach on Happy's arm and his voice left him.

Pepper had her hair swept back in loose curls with a few small roses slipped in. Her dress was a white satin and lace sheath gown with flowers stitched into the lace. Her bouquet was a small bunch of red roses since she knew Tony's favorite color was red.

Just the sight of Pepper had brought tears of joy to Tony's eyes as he watched his angel descend. He was most definitely nervous but for her, he would do anything. Tony felt as if he could fly again without the suit as Pepper took his arm.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Anthony Edward Stark and Virginia Potts. Is there anyone here who has any objections to these two being joined in marriage?"

Tony shot a quick look at Rhodey to make sure he wasn't going to say anything just as a joke.

"Anthony Edward Stark, do you take Virginia Potts to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all other for as long as you both shall live?"

"Of course I do." Tony said with a smile as his eyes sparkled like the waves themselves with unshed tears.

"Virginia Potts, do you take Anthony Edward Stark to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all other for as long as you both shall live?"

"Absolutely yes." Pepper said as she used her thumb to wipe one of the tears that Tony let escape away from his cheek.

"Do you have the rings?"

Tony turned to Rhodey and held out his hand for the rings. Rhodey complied quickly and gave the rings to the judge.

"Place the ring on her finger and repeat, 'Accept this ring as a token of my love and fidelity."

Tony's hands still shook as he slipped the gold ring with diamonds inlaid on Pepper's hand. "Accept this ring as a token of my love and fidelity."

"Place the ring on his finger and repeat, 'Accept this ring as a token of my love and fidelity."

Pepper was definitely far calmer than Tony was as she slipped the gold band on his finger. "Accept this ring as a token of my love and fidelity."

"In as much as Anthony Edward Stark and Virginia Potts have consented together in wedlock and have witnessed the same before this gathering, declaring their love openly for each other by the joining of hands and exchanging of rings; I, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the state of California, pronounce that they are husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

"I know that part." Tony said with a smile as he leaned in and kissed Pepper's lips in a long but gentle kiss.

"May I present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Stark." The judge said as the waves crashed in the background, combining with the applause of Happy and Rhodey.

"Still nervous, Tony?" Rhodey joked as he shook his friend's hand in congratulations.

"Okay, that was easier than I thought." Tony admitted as everyone walked up to the house, Tony with Pepper on his arm and not letting go.

Up inside the mansion, there was a small buffet lunch set out for the five people who actually witnessed the event. Tony was clearly more relaxed as he sat on the couch with Pepper right by his side.

"Why can't this be it? Why do we have to go through with that big thing later that you know I don't want to go to?" Tony sighed. "Did we at least get an open bar?"

"Because if you don't do the right thing with the big outlandish thing as you call it, the high society people would never forgive you." Pepper stated. "Yes, there is an open bar but I will not have you getting plastered there."

"Just a little bit?' Tony said with a pout, which received a glare from Pepper. "How about just lightly lubricated? Just enough so I can keep up the appearances that I am smooth." He asked with a laugh.

After a few pictures courtesy of Jarvis, everyone got in the limo to head to the Peninsula Beverly Hills for the larger reception.

Tony honestly had no idea on how many invitations were sent out. Pepper had somehow managed to run his life and plan their wedding without missing a beat. When he saw the hotel was filled he looked over to his wife. "How many people are here?"

"I believe it was two hundred." She replied as she took his hand. "This is nothing new for you."

"Yeah, but it was easier to put up the front when I had a different outlook on life." Tony admitted.


	10. Chapter 10

Two months of wedded bliss had passed by so quickly for Tony and Pepper that neither one had realized it. Though Tony had been accustomed to living life by his rules and doing things when he wanted to and getting what he wanted for quite some time, Pepper had to make a little adjustment from one side of life to the other.

Waking up early was almost impossible and Pepper, who still ran Tony's life on the side, had to adjust schedules accordingly. Tony had made sure that he did his fair share to keep Pepper by his side in bed for as long as possible every day from long, slow, gentle and passionate lovemaking from the night before to keeping her curled up along his side with her head on his shoulder with a strong and protective arm wrapped around her as they slept. He spent far fewer nights in the garage with his cars and armor and many more occupied with his beautiful wife. Many mornings Pepper would still get up far earlier than Tony and as she watched him sleep peacefully she realized that marrying a former playboy had some advantages – Tony was very good at pleasing women in bed.

Pepper also had to get used to having a different bank account and the altered spending privileges that came with it. Even though Tony had always given her free reign to use his credit cards to go shopping, she never did except on her birthday when she knew he would forget to get her a gift. Now, she could walk into any store she wished and pick up anything she wanted without even looking at the price and every sales person was saying, "Yes, Mrs. Stark, whatever you like."

Pepper also understood truly now why Tony hated paparazzi so much. As his personal assistant, she could stay off to the sidelines and rarely ever be noticed by the camera's eye but as his wife, she was front and center with just as much scrutiny as Tony.

It was a late September morning when Pepper woke up and realized what day it was. It was her birthday again and as she laid in bed for a few moments, listening to Tony snore, she considered everything that had happened in the last year. One year ago, the man sleeping next to her was a playboy that had so many character flaws it could have filled an encyclopedia. That dividing line between personal assistant, friend and love still existed and there was no such thing as Iron Man.

Pepper slowly got up and slipped away from Tony without waking him, a skill she was getting pretty good at after only two months. She threw on her robe and headed downstairs, fully expecting that Tony had forgotten again.

"Good morning, madam." Jarvis greeted her. "And happy birthday." He added as the living room brightened up with the morning sun.

"Thank you, Jarvis. At least you remember." Pepper replied as she poured herself some coffee.

"I have a message from Mr. Stark for you." Jarvis stated.

"When did he leave a message for me?"

"Last night before he went to bed. It is a video message. Would you like me to play it?"

"Yes, Jarvis, please." Pepper said, very curious as to what Tony left her.

The TV turned on and up popped Tony's smiling face. "Good morning, my love and happy birthday. No, I did not forget this year and I can't now. Now, I know you'll be up before me, despite my best efforts to keep you in bed with me, so I left your presents on the couch. Yes, I actually went out and bought them myself. I do know where my credit cards are. By the way, open the one with the card last."

Pepper turned towards the couch as the TV turned off and saw a significant pile of gifts there for her. She was wondering if he was trying to make up for all the years he missed. There were a few small gifts that Tony did obviously think about – an MP3 player with all of her favorite music, a beautiful picture frame with their wedding picture, a t-shirt with 'I love my geek' on it. She really did have to laugh at Tony calling himself a geek. Then she got to the last gift, the one with the card. She opened the card and saw it was written in Tony's almost illegible scribble and when she deciphered it, it brought tears of joy to her eyes. Then she moved to the small box with another envelope attached to it. The outside of the envelope read:

_A perfect place to use the gift_

Pepper opened the envelope and pulled out an embossed invitation.

_Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Stark_

_You are cordially invited to_

_The Annual Flashback Masquerade Ball – the 1900's_

_Twenty-eighth of September_

_At eight o'clock in the evening_

_Grand Ballroom_

_The Waldorf-Astoria, New York City_

Pepper was definitely curious as she opened the red box to see a beautiful necklace in side. It was an eighteen carat yellow gold necklace with alternating diamonds and rubies going around a circular pendant that looked very much like Tony's arc reactor. She nearly stopped breathing when she saw it.

"I figured that would make a nice match to the other proof that I have a heart," came Tony's voice from the stairs.

Pepper turned around and ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "Thank you so much. This is beautiful."

"If I had known I was going to get this reaction, I would have remembered your birthday years ago." Tony said with a laugh as Pepper playfully jabbed him in the arm.

"It was gift enough for me that you remembered at all." Pepper replied.

"It's hard to forget now." Tony said as he tapped his arc reactor. "Tomorrow, it will be one year since I was kidnapped."

The smile Pepper had vanished and it was replaced with the painful memory of the phone call she received from Rhodey. "It has been a year already. I guess I tried to block that all out."

Tony came off the stairs and wrapped his arms around Pepper's waist. "I can try to block it out as much as I want but I know I can't. I just look at it now by what I got from it."

"And what did you get from it?" Pepper asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck again.

"You." Tony stated simply. "I got you."


	11. Chapter 11

Early the next morning, the Stark Industries private jet was taking off from LAX on its way to JFK in New York for the masquerade ball. After take off, Tony was clearly getting comfortable in his chair and planning on taking a small nap on their way over three time zones.

"Tony, did I tell you that I updated the movie?" Pepper said casually as she glanced over at her husband who was quickly drifting off.

"That's good." He said sleepily.

"I want to show you what I added." Pepper said as she nudged Tony just enough to get him awake.

"Okay, in flight movies, another good way to pass the time." Tony said as he sat up to stay awake.

The screen lit up with the pictures of Tony's parents and his childhood, the original cut of the movie. Then it moved to more of Tony and Pepper together, pictures around the house, a certain firemen's benefit were Pepper had a very interesting blue dress and then their wedding. The movie then faded into a very grainy black and white image which was a little hard to make out.

Tony studied the image for a second and he realized what he was looking at. "Pepper?" he asked as he looked at his wife. "Are you telling me we're having a baby?"

A big smile lit up Pepper's face as she held up two fingers but didn't say a word.

"Twins? We're having twins?" Tony exclaimed as he looked back at the image on the screen and saw two little shapes on there.

Pepper nodded and braced herself. She knew how Tony tended to react and she was expecting some sort of explosion here when his genius brain processed through everything.

Tony nearly jumped out of his seat and pulled Pepper into his arms. "We're having a baby…babies!" he exclaimed as he kissed her. "I guess I have really good aim here."

"I would say so…two in one shot." Pepper said with a smile and a kiss as he let her down. "Now the question is can Iron Man handle two precious little bundles come April?"

"Of course. What can't I do?" Tony said confidently.

"Remember your social security number." Pepper came back with quick.

The Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria was decked out on all the grandeur of the Victorian and Edwardian ages, all the guests in period tuxedos and ball gowns, dancing and mingling and generally enjoying the party. Even Tony and Pepper got to enjoy the festivities, especially since they did not have to host them. After the news that Pepper gave him earlier, Tony was even able to enjoy himself without hitting the bar even once. The only thing that broke them out of pure party enjoyment was the sound of Tony's cell phone ringing.

"Good evening, Mr. Stark."

Tony looked at his cell phone for the number which he immediately recognized, even without the picture; it was Obadiah Stane's.

"Who is this?" Tony responded coolly as he mouthed to Pepper to have Jarvis trace who was calling on his cell phone.

"My name is not important at this moment."

"How did you get this number?"

"Let's just say our mutual acquaintance, Stane, had you as number one on his speed dial."

"What do you want?" Tony snapped as rage started to slip into his voice and that hidden fire burned in his eyes.

"Have patience, Mr. Stark. All in good time."

"I have never been a patient man."

"Mr. Stark, you and I are both kings of our dominion but our power comes from different sources. Your power comes from money and mine from firepower."

"Get to the point."

"I told you…patience." I have had patience. It has been a year and you are still alive."

"I am a lot harder to kill than you thought."

"So it seems, especially when we only received trinkets for a prince." The voice on the other end purred. "It really was terrible weather that night on the Pacific Coast Highway."

"Yeah, people get run off the road all the time there."

"And you really should update your security on your home. It would be a shame to see your beautiful wife harmed when you are not there."

"Ever think he fell into my trap?"

"Listen carefully, Mr. Stark, or your treasured wife will pay the price for your disobedience and she will die right in front of your eyes."

Fear flashed in Tony's eyes as he scanned the room quickly.

"I have been a loyal customer of yours for quite some time and I have not yet received what I ordered."

"Take it you haven't seen the news but I have stopped production on the weapons line."

"You lie terribly, Mr. Stark. Your stock would not have rebounded so well if you had not resumed production."

"The market can be fickle."

"I want what I ordered. You have twenty-four hours, Mr. Stark, to get what I want in the air or I assure you, next time, I won't be so friendly. Next time, there may just be a faulty wire in your car that leads to a terrible explosion. Good night, Mr. Stark."

The line then went dead.

"What's going on?" Pepper asked, watching her husband's reactions with concern.

"We need to get home. I have twenty-four hours to stop the unraveling of everything I have done."


	12. Chapter 12

As soon as they were back on the plane, Tony quickly slipped into problem solving mode but with so much to do, he needed Pepper's help.

"I need you to find the purchase order for me. Jarvis would have a copy of it. Final destination – Gulmira, Afghanistan."

"I'm on it." Pepper said quickly as she pulled up one of the remote screens with access to all the servers. "Jarvis? Did you hear him?"

"Loud and clear. I am pulling up the folders now."

As one task was being taken care of, Tony pulled out his cell phone and dialed quickly.

"Rhodes here."

"Hey Rhodey, do they still let you play with the big toys?" Tony asked somewhat hopefully. For what he was going to do, he needed back up.

"What big toys are you referring to, Tony?"

"You know…the old standbys…fighter jets, tanks, combat ready troops…those sorts of toys."

"What do you need those for?" Rhodey was instantly curious and concerned all in the same breath.

"Well, my not so friendly hosts of last year have decided that they didn't finish the job well enough since I am still alive and they want me to rearm them so they can kill me or Pepper."

"Are you serious about this, Tony?"

"I would not joke about this. How quickly can you get your general friend on the phone and organize a squad with air and ground support to invade and take out some bad guys with Iron Man?"

"The quickest we can do is a week." Rhodey admitted.

"Set a speed record. I have less than twenty-four hours before I have to put that shipment in the air or they go after Pepper."

Rhodey swore under his breath. Tony was not joking. "Give me fifteen minutes and I think I can get a hold of something."

"If it sweetens the deal at all, I will throw in all the fun stuff…even the Jericho if necessary."

"If we are going to do what I think you are planning, you better throw in the whole damn arsenal." Rhodey said before hanging up and think of a way to explain this to General Scott.

"Any luck yet?" Tony said as he turned to Pepper and the computer.

"I think I found it." Pepper said as she pointed to the screen. "The original order was dated about a year ago and was reissued after you went ahead and destroyed everything they had."

Tony scanned the screen and he suddenly got a very sick feeling in his stomach. They were replacing EVERYTHING that he had destroyed, including the Jericho missiles. "This may be harder than I originally imagined." Tony whispered as he pulled out his phone again and called the shipping department.

"You are actually going to send all of this." Pepper exclaimed in horror.

"Yes, but not the access codes to let them work. They have to see that this stuff is in the air by tomorrow. Then, I will deal with them myself."

"And half the US military."

"If I am lucky and Rhodey called in few favors."

Pepper was scared. The last time he went to that place, he didn't come back for three months. "You had just better make sure that you come back to me quickly."

"There is nothing that would keep me away from you now."

The next morning, Pepper drove to Edwards AFB with Iron Man flying over head to meet up with Rhodey.

Tony landed next to the Audi and took off his helmet to see a fighter jet with Rhodey's name on it and him in a flight suit. "So they do let you still play with the big toys?" he said with a smirk.

"I insisted on it. If you are going into battle over this, I am going to be watching your back."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Tony said as shook Rhodey's hand. "So what did you get me to piss off the bad guys?"

"I got you an air squadron of five other jets, not including me and a combat ready team of a hundred. What did you get me?"

"I sent every weapon that Stark Industries makes to General Scott last night. They should be arriving shortly." Tony stated. "But none of them will work until we get there because I am the only one with the codes to access them."

"Is this part of your new protocol?"

"It's worked so far."

"Well then, I think we should be getting this show on the road." Rhodey suggested as he started to move towards his plane.

"One thing, I want Pepper to stay here on the base." Tony mentioned. "This is the only spot where I know she will be safe."

"My place is hers for now." Rhodey said as he tossed Pepper his keys. "Just no wild parties."

"I am not Tony. Remember." Pepper said with a laugh before thanking him.

Tony turned to Pepper and gave her one last long kiss before putting his helmet back on. "I promise I will be back. I love you." He told her before rocketing up into the sky and heading off back into hell.

After the long flight over, Tony and Rhodey landed just outside Kabul and Tony checked his watch – he had gained eleven and a half hours more to complete what he needed to do. For once, thank god for time zones.

General Scott came over and greeted Tony as after he landed. "Care to give me an explanation as to what is going to happen here?'

"Certainly General." Tony started as he took a deep breath. "A year ago I was taken hostage by an organization that called itself the Ten Rings as everyone knows. After I escaped and destroyed all of the weapons of mine that they had, they tried to replenish them by trying to stock pile Stark Industries weaponry again through a series of misdirected orders. I refused to send them. Last night, one of them who has arranged several more attempts on my life told me I have twenty-four hours to deliver the goods or he would kill my wife. The weapons are in transit but they are inactive like the ones I sent to you. I am the only one with the access codes and I am not giving them the numbers for theirs. What I plan to do is when they land; I will meet up with them and piss them off for the most part. From you, I need air and ground support. I can take on a great many of them but not all. The task is to destroy them and all the weapons that they tried to acquire from me."

"That's quite a large task, Mr. Stark. How do you propose that happens?"

"Use the weapons I sent and the best skills that you have. My suggestion…a few air drops and then let loose one of the Jericho missiles. I know exactly how long I have before the pulse hits and I will add in an additional electromagnetic pulse and that should eliminate everything."

"Won't you get injured or even killed with that?"

"No. My armor is nearly indestructible. It can get banged up but it will save my life. You'll see when I have gotten away safely. I would just like one of the birds to give me a little back up if necessary."

"I'll watch his back." Rhodey said as he stepped forward. "No need to assign anyone else, Sir."

"When do you want to start this, Mr. Stark?"

"The shipment is set to land in two hours." Tony stated in a deadly serious tone. "But first, I am going to give you something that the guys in the cave would give both balls and their dick for…the access codes for the Jericho. I hope you have a good memory, General, because I am not writing these down."

"My memory is impeccable, Stark. Now, activate these weapons."

Tony stepped forward and whispered the access code only to General Scott. "Put that in right before you fire." He said as he as he took off to get close to Gulmira and set his plan into motion.

Tony was hiding just on the edge of the town's borders when he saw the trucks carrying his weapons pulling up. Like clockwork, his cell rang and Jarvis patched it through.

"I see you only needed a little persuasion, Mr. Stark. I am glad we can be civil about this."

"Civility is another thing I am really not good at."

"I will need a steadier supply of these if I am to retain my power."

"Not a flying chance in hell."

"You forget yourself, Mr. Stark. You forgot what I told you would happen if you don't cooperate."

"No, I didn't forget. You forgot who YOU were dealing with. When you try to play hardball with me, you had better bring a heavy bat. And when I play hardball, I bring the biggest bat of all." Tony spat and then disconnected the phone as he stepped out as Iron Man.

He quickly fired off a few missiles of his own, right into the truck carrying all the weapons. "That's better." Tony scoffed as he took out a few people who were attempting to fire at him.

The air squadron saw the explosion and took that as their cue and dropped a few well placed explosives of their own, sending the terrorists' command center to another dimension.

As both sides starting to give and take heavy fire, Tony called the General. "Let it off the chain, General! Clear the skies to a safe distance!" he shouted as he knelt down to build the energy for the pulse he was going to have to set off quickly.

"Jarvis, once the Jericho lands, we have three seconds to set off the electromagnetic pulse and get the hell out of it. The pulse from the missile moves thousands of feet per second and I have to stay ahead of it." Tony whispered.

"That is going to take an incredible amount of power, sir, and even more to get you to safety. The Mark II may not be able to sustain that much stress."

"I am going to have to push it. I need to you set off the pulse as soon as the missile hits and then hit boosters on full to at least Mach I right after it."

"Understood, sir."

Tony heard a whoosh over his head and saw the Jericho fly over and land right in the middle of town as the satellite missiles took out the exterior of the town."

"Fire!" Tony cried.

The chest piece fired off one massive electromagnetic pulse that rippled through the pulse of the missile and amplified it. Just as the pulse fired, Tony took off and started flying east out of the range of the missile as fast as he could.

Rhodey was watching from the sky and saw Tony rocket out and flew over to catch up with him. "I can't believe it. You actually did it!" he called over the connection to Tony.

"Yeah but I am kind of running on vapors right now." Tony admitted as his arc reactor was draining quickly. "I need to get some place safe."

"Can you make it to the Pacific?" Rhodey called out as he stayed right by Tony's side in the air. "The USS Ronald Reagan is there and you can rest up there before heading home."

"I think I can but I am going to cut it close. I can't go supersonic though so if anything gets on my ass, I am seriously screwed." Tony admitted.

"That's what you got me for."

A sudden beeping went off on Tony's control systems. "Well, now would be a good time to protect my ass because I have a bird after me!" Tony screamed out as he tried to get out of lock from the oncoming missile.

"Just keep going. I got it." Rhodey called back. "General, we got a bogie up here somewhere. I am taking it out now but radio ahead to the USS Ronald Reagan that we are coming in."

"We'll see to it, Colonel."

Rhodey quickly spotted the ground to air missiles that fired at Tony. "Tony, send of your flares on the count of three. One…two…three!"

Tony fired off the redirection flares just as Rhodey dropped a nice gift on the ones who fired it.

"Nice shot, Rhodey." Tony said as he caught his breath. "Believe me; I am glad you have my back."

"I always have your back." Rhodey reassured him. "Now, it should be a nice leisurely flight to the aircraft carrier. You're still with me, right?"

"I'm still here but I am getting close to empty here."

"I'll get you to the ship. I promise you. I will not let you die here." Rhodey said.

The sun was setting as Rhodey and Tony landed on the USS Ronald Reagan. Tony was exhausted and the dimming light in his arc reactor reflected the same in his face.

"Rhodey, you are going to have to get me out of this before I lose power." He rasped out.

"How long does it take?"

"By hand, bare minimum, an hour…with a power drill or my robots…half." Tony said, clearing fighting collapse.

Rhodey screamed for the ship's engineer to get him a power drill and got to work as soon as the tool was in his hand. It took nearly an hour for Rhodey to unscrew and unbolt enough to set Tony free, who nearly fell to the floor with fatigue without the armor holding him up.

"Tony, stay with me. I can't let you die now." Rhodey said as he pulled Tony up and threw his friend's arm over his shoulders.

"I…just…need to lie down for a bit…let the reactor recharge." Tony said as his head lolled around, not even having the strength to keep it up.

Two officers were more than willing to give up their quarters to Tony and Rhodey. Rhodey laid Tony down on one of the bed and he was fading fast.

"Tony, how long will it take to put you back in that thing?"

"About the same… Jarvis can help though…" Tony murmured before falling asleep.

By the time the sun came up the next morning, Rhodey's jet had been refueled, Tony had recharged and the carrier was closer to US soil. Rhodey let Tony sleep as long as he could but by eleven, they needed to get on their way.

It took nearly two hours to get Tony back into the Iron Man armor by Rhodey's untrained hands. Tony cracked jokes that Rhodey should try working on cars more often and then Tony's armor would be so much easier.

"Do you want to fly home alone?" Rhodey countered.

"No way. You're my wing man. I go where you go." Tony said backing down as he put his helmet on.

"Then, set a course for Edwards. I'll race you there." Rhodey said as he got in his plane.

"Fifty bucks says I win." Tony called back before taking off.

Pepper had been waiting in the tower for some sort of news about Tony and Rhodey. She had heard something coming in from a carrier that a plane was taking off for Edwards and she did not dare leave in case it was them. Every voice she heard over the intercoms and radios she thought could have been one of them. It was nearing five o'clock when a familiar voice came over.

"Edwards Tower…this is Colonel James Rhodes, USAF, requesting permission to land."

"Colonel Rhodes, permission granted. I see you coming in on radar but you don't seem to be alone. Are you aware of this?"

"I am very aware of it. That is my wing man…Iron Man."

Pepper screamed in delight at that, nearly hitting her head on a low shelf when she jumped up.

"Edwards, is there a Virginia Stark in the Tower with you?"

"Yes sir."

"Am I on speaker?"

"Yes sir, you are."

"Hey Pepper! You owe your man here one hell of a heroes welcome. He was amazing there."

"You don't need to worry about that, Rhodey. Can I talk to Tony?"

"Not at the moment. His connection with the plane was disconnected last night when I had to pry him out of his tin can. I have been keeping tabs on him through my cell phone. Our ETA is fifteen minutes."

Pepper bolted out of the Tower and ran downstairs to the tarmac so she could see them come in.

"Maybe we can make that faster," Tony chimed in Rhodey's ear. "You heard the woman. That's a damn good reason to rush home."

"You can't go supersonic on this short of a distance, Tony."

"You like taking my fun away, don't you?"

"I keep you grounded." Rhodey said as he started laughing.

Rhodey lined up with the runway first and Tony followed behind him. As soon as both were on the ground, Pepper went running up to Tony.

Tony had barely enough time to get his helmet off before Pepper jumped on to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and nailing him with a deep kiss.

"I told you I would be back." Tony said when she finally broke away.

"And that was for keeping your promise." Pepper said with a smile.

Not long after Pepper had caught them, the suits and uniforms caught up as well wanting to hear the whole story, which Tony quickly held up his hands.

"I will tell you everything after I do the following things, one – get out of the armor and get a shower and two – spend time with my wife. I'll have to go home first to do most of this unless Rhodey wants to help me out again."

"Not until you invent a can opener for that." Rhodey joked.

"Probably better that way because then I may have had to borrow his truck for the back seat." Tony said with a playful smirk as he looked at Pepper before jetting off towards home.


	13. Chapter 13

It was very early in the morning when Tony had finally dragged his ass out of the garage from repairing his armor. Some idiotic car jacker had actually not only tried to shoot him but run him over as well. Tony muttered curses under his breath as he thought about the fool as he surveyed the damage.

"Jarvis, what time is it?"

"It would be five in the morning, sir."

"Did Pepper wait up at all?"

"She wanted to but she just couldn't do it, sir."

"Well, I guess there's no point in going to sleep now." Tony shrugged as he pulled off the top of the body suit he wore under his armor to his waist to find a great number of new bruises. "If Pepper wakes up, tell her I am in the shower. By the way, turn it on hot."

"Of course, sir."

Tony trudged up to the master bathroom, stripped off the rest of the body suit and stepped under the hot water and just let it beat down over him, working out all the kinks and knots in his muscles.

Pepper was restless as she slept. Now eight months pregnant, she could not get comfortable for long in any position. It also didn't help to have two sets of feet kicking her at all hours. She often mused at these times that since they keep Tony's hours now, he can get up with them later on.

As she lay in bed, Pepper started to feel an uncomfortable pressure. It passed quick enough and she thought it was just one of the twins moving around until it returned a few minutes later and it was sharper. Pepper started to keep track of the cycles of pain for half an hour and it just intensified with every go around.

"Jarvis? Where is Mr. Stark?" Pepper asked as her voice tensed.

"He is in the shower, madam. Shall I summon him?"

"Yes, please and tell him I am going to him as well." She added as she got out of bed and slowly walked down to the master bath just in case Tony chose not to listen.

"Sir, your wife is asking for your presence." Jarvis interjected into the bathroom.

Tony was half asleep under the shower and only vaguely heard Jarvis' voice.

"Not now, Jarvis." He grumbled from under the water.

"Tony!" Pepper called in over the shower.

"Yes, my love?" Tony automatically responded.

"I think we need to go to the hospital."

"What for?" Tony's sleep deprived brain still wasn't quite with it.

"Because I think I am in labor."

Tony suddenly snapped awake at the last word. "Are you sure?" he asked as he turned and groped to try to turn off the water.

"Pretty sure."

Tony then went into what he liked to refer to as 'oh shit' mode. He nearly fell getting out of the shower and grabbing for a towel to sort of dry off and get dressed.

By the time that Tony had actually managed to get a shirt and pants on, Pepper had come out of the bathroom and was breathing through the ever intensifying pain while trying to stay calm on the couch. She was most definitely certain now that it was labor pains and not something else after her water had broken. She decided not to tell Tony just at that moment as he was panicked enough as it was.

"Please do not drive like a crazy person. You may actually speed this up if you scare me." Pepper begged Tony.

"I'll do my best but I offer no guarantees. You say I drive crazy under normal circumstances." He said sincerely as he helped her into the car.

After they arrived at Cedars-Sinai, Tony gave a quick call to Rhodey while Pepper was getting hooked up to the fetal monitors.

"Rhodes here."

"You know that award that you're supposed to be giving me tonight for that whole Ten Rings thing?"

"Yes? What are you getting at, Tony?"

"I'm not going to be there tonight."

"Well at least you told me this time. What's your excuse?"

"Pepper just went into labor…four weeks early."

Rhodey's tone quickly changed to a mixture of congratulatory and concern. "I'll make your excuses for you and then I'll meet you at Cedars-Sinai. Do you need anything?"

"I don't know. I am not actually sure if we grabbed everything before we left." Tony admitted. Hell, he was so frazzled he could have forgotten his own name at the moment.

"I'll stop by your house and ask Jarvis. I got your back and you know that."

"Thanks. I think I may need someone watching my back now to make sure I stay upright. I'll see you later."

When Tony walked back into the room, Pepper was already in bed. The steady beeping of his children's heartbeats was a constant reassurance for him as he pulled up the chair next to Pepper's bed. There was no chance that he was moving now.

For hours, Tony sat in that chair, holding Pepper's hand through every contraction, wiping her face down, giving her ice chips. Both Tony and Pepper were grateful when they allowed her to finally have the epidural. The pain was exhausting her and Tony was just about at his breaking point with watching his wife suffer.

Rhodey showed up at the hospital a little after nine in the evening with two bags with him. Tony saw him first when he peeked in the darkened room.

"Jarvis told me where Pepper had put these. He explained everything." Rhodey explained as he heard Tony's back crack audibly from getting up from the chair. "How long have you been in that chair?"

"About fifteen hours." Tony replied as he thanked his friend.

"Do you need anything? Coffee, something to eat?" Rhodey offered.

"The strongest coffee you can find." Tony requested.

No sooner the words had left his mouth; Tony heard a small dip in the beeps that monitored the heartbeats. He rushed back into the room and was quickly followed by a doctor.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"The twins are may not be recovering as well as we would like during the contractions. If it happens again, we will need to deliver the babies by cesarean section immediately."

The doctor made a quick call to get the operating room ready just in case. Pepper was now awake and getting scared when she saw the look in Tony's eyes.

The beeps dipped two more times.

"That's it. We are moving Mrs. Stark to delivery at once." The doctor ordered.

A pair of nurses quickly moved Pepper on to a stretcher and whisked her out of the room.

"I am going with her." Tony stated in a tone that most did not argue with.

"If this was a normal delivery, Mr. Stark, you would be allowed but not in an emergency. We will let you know." The nurse said curtly before ducking into the operating room.

Tony was in shock, angry and downright terrified. He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor out side of the operating room, resting his head in his hands as tears stung his eyes. He was helpless and he hated feeling helpless. His Pepper needed him and he was being denied.

Rhodey sat down next to Tony. His friend's joy of being a father was ripped away with violent force at the possibility that something may be wrong. There was nothing he could say at this moment. All he could do was give his friend silent support.

More than an hour had gone by before another human being even set foot through the doors that Tony and Rhodey were sitting on the floor next to. An hour that seemed interminable to Tony. Then, he heard the squeak of the doors opening.

"Mr. Stark?" a nurse called out and Tony was instantly on his feet.

"How are they?" Tony asked in a concerned and terrified voice at what he may hear.

"Your wife is fine and they are moving her to recovery. You may see her shortly.'

"The babies?"

"Your son and daughter are doing well. They were taken to the NICU immediately after delivery for observation."

"What's wrong with them?"

"Given the fact that they are four weeks early, they are strong but small. Your son, the first born, weighed four pounds six ounces. You daughter weighed four pounds one ounce. You and your wife may see them as soon as she is ready."

Tony nodded in understanding as he started back down the hall to see Pepper.

"I'll wait outside until you two are ready." Rhodey told him before he ducked into Pepper's room.

Tony smiled at Pepper, who was awake; as he leaned down to kiss her gently.

"I want to see them." Pepper said with a little sadness even before Tony had to ask. Soon after, a nurse appeared with a wheel chair for Pepper to take them where their children were.

Tony lifted Pepper out of the bed and sat her in the wheelchair then pushed her behind the nurse that led them to NICU.

After washing and putting on the protective gown over their clothes, they were taken into the NICU. Right as they came in were two incubators with STARK on them, one blue card and one pink. The nurses were just about to explain how to touch them when Tony spoke up.

"We want to hold them."

The nurse didn't argue this time, she knew better than to even try this time. She opened the first incubator and gently handed the boy to Tony.

Tony looked down at his son in his arms as how small his baby's hands were against his fingers and an overwhelming since of love and protectiveness swept over him.

When Pepper was handed their daughter, she set the baby's head right by her heart as she finally got a chance to bond with them.

"Would you like to fill in the names for the certificates now?" the nurse asked.

"Yes we would." Pepper said firmly.

"The boy?"

"James Anthony Stark." Pepper told her.

"The girl?"

"Emma Victoria Stark."


	14. Chapter 14

The next afternoon, Rhodey came back to the hospital with flowers and two small gift bags. He knocked on Pepper's door first to give her a little warning before coming in. When he peeked inside, he did his level best not to laugh. Pepper was wide awake, flipping through the terrible cable channels and Tony was out cold and snoring in bed with her.

"He looks comfortable." Rhodey commented as he set the gifts down on the table.

"The staff here finally took pity on him and stopped yelling at him for this when they saw him trying to sleep in the chair. That was an even funnier sight." Pepper said as she gave Rhodey a hug. "Thank you for the flowers. You really didn't have to."

"I have gifts as well. First, for the little ones." He said as he handed Pepper the pink and blue bags.

Pepper opened the bags to find a bunch of brightly colored and textured toys for each baby and a teddy bear for James and a sheep for Emma. "These are great. We hadn't gotten a chance to get them any toys since they came early."

"Now, a gift for the parents." Rhodey said as he handed Pepper the envelope from the flowers.

"Gift certificate for one night out without kids." Pepper read out loud as she opened the envelope. "Night out must include dinner and some sort of entertainment. Babysitting will be provided by giver of gift."

"You are going to baby-sit?" Pepper said as she started to laugh.

"I baby sat Tony enough. How hard could two little ones be?"

"How old was Tony?"

"Eighteen."

Pepper burst out laughing, which caused her a bit of pain but it was worth it. "Did you get a chance to see them yet?"

"Tony was going to take me last night but it was too late."

"Would you like to see them now?" Pepper offered.

"Only if you're up to it."

"I'm fine. I don't like that they're away from me. Could you help me a bit?" Pepper said as she pointed to the wheel chair.

"Of course." Rhodey said as he pulled the chair over and helped her out of the bed. "Should we tell Tony? Won't he freak out if you're not here if he wakes up?"

"One of the nurses will tell him if he doesn't figure it on his own." Pepper exclaimed. "I doubt he'll wake up at anytime soon though. He was beyond exhausted." She added as she told Rhodey where the NICU was.

After going through all the procedures and Pepper having to give verbal permission to let Rhodey in, he finally got to see the twins. The first thing he noticed after the two dark haired bundles was the names on the incubators. "Did you name your son after me?"

"That was Tony's idea. He figured that since you have always been there for him and saved his life a few times, it was the least he could do."

"I am truly honored…really. I'll have to tell Tony this one personally." Rhodey said, trying to hide the fact that he was a little choked up at that. "I would have thought Tony would have wanted his mother's name for the middle name."

"No, Victoria for victory." Pepper stated. "Can't say we didn't put a lot of thought into these."

"You two need to get your crayons and markers out. All the other babies have decorated incubators and…"

Pepper did look around and saw pictures and drawings and little touches on all the others. "They do need something, don't they?" Pepper mused. "I am sure Tony will love to do that. You know how he gets when he gets bored. The only reason he hasn't been thrown out yet for annoying the staff is me and the words 'big donation' invisibly stamped on his forehead.

Pepper reached in each incubator and touched each baby gently before Rhodey took her back to her room.

Back in the room, Tony was still out and Pepper just smiled. "I think we can wake him up now." She said as she looked up at Rhodey.

"In what manner, Mrs. Stark – nice or decidedly not?"

"Be nice to him. He's had it rough here." Pepper said.

"Then you had better do it. My way usually involves dumping him on the floor."

After Rhodey helped Pepper back into bed, she shook Tony gently…just enough to wake him and not startle him.

Tony's eyes slowly opened and blinked a few times before his vision fully came into focus. "Hey Rhodey. What's up?" he said through a yawn.

"I finally got to see your bundles of joy and I brought gifts." Rhodey said as he pointed to the bags. "And you have honored me in a way I can never thank you enough for."

"It is my way of thanking you." Tony admitted. "If it wasn't for you, I would have died in that desert. I owe you my life."

"Consider us square now."

A little over a week later, Tony and Pepper finally got to take their children home.

"Why didn't you ask Rhodey to help carry a few things?" Pepper asked as Happy loaded all the flowers and gifts into the car while Tony was dealing with car seats.

"Because he was helping me finish up my gift to our children." Tony called from inside the car. "This thing is impossible. I have two degrees from MIT and I can't figure out a car seat."

"Did you read the directions at all?" Pepper asked.

"No. This thing should be user friendly to help overworked parents." Tony replied.

"Why don't you let someone else try for a second before you get mad?" Pepper calmly suggested as she rocked the two carriers with her feet.

Tony then turned to Happy. "You heard the woman. You try."

"Yes sir." Happy said dutifully as he actually looked at the directions and managed to get both car seats in very quickly.

"Show off." Tony grumbled as he locked both carriers in and then helped Pepper into the limo.

When they pulled up to the mansion, Rhodey was standing in the front door with paint on him and ready to help unload.

"Tony, take Pepper to show her what you did. I'll watch James and Emma while Happy unloads." Rhodey suggested as he took the two sleeping babies inside.

Tony braced Pepper as she walked up the stairs since walking was still a bit painful for her. He stopped at the guest rooms that was nearest to their bedroom and opened the doors. One was painted blue with little red cars all over and the other was lavender with butterflies and flowers. Both rooms were filled with furniture and toys and almost anything a baby could need.

Pepper was speechless at first.

"I wanted to have this done before they came." Tony explained.

"When did you get all of this done?"

"Rhodey and I worked our asses off over the last two days and it was worth it."

Pepper didn't say a word, just turned and planted a long kiss on Tony's lips. "They're perfect…and perfectly suited for James and Emma."


	15. Chapter 15

For the first two months, Tony and Pepper were running on two different shifts. Pepper had the twins during the day while Tony ran the nights. The different personalities of the children were quick to appear. James was the quieter child and a little easier to deal with, like Pepper. Emma was most definitely Daddy's little girl. She was as energetic as her father and would only go to sleep for Tony. This fact was very frustrating for Pepper during the day. The little girl would scream herself hoarse and into exhaustion before she would go to sleep for Pepper. A few minutes with Tony and she was out cold. Pepper was often asking for the secret but Tony could never answer her about it.

One lazy afternoon, Tony was lying in the middle of the floor playing with James and Emma when Pepper received an odd phone call.

"Tony, there is someone calling from Palm Springs and they are very insistent to speak to you.

Tony took the phone as he sat up a bit. "Tony Stark."

"Mr. Stark, we are calling about the passing of your relative."

"I don't have any relatives in Palm Springs."

"A gentleman by the name of Edwin Jarvis listed you as next of kin."

Tony's face fell. "He didn't have any family left. He used to work for my family." He said in a sadder tone.

"Have there been any plans made for his services?"

"Not yet. I'll head down there this afternoon." He said before hanging up the phone.

"What was that?" Pepper asked with curiosity.

"My old butler Edwin passed away." Tony stated.

"How come I never knew about him? I don't remember any human butlers for as long as I have worked for you."

"That's because he asked to retired when I had this house built." Tony replied. "By the time this place was finished, I had Jarvis done for the most part. Edwin was getting older and he couldn't keep up with me anymore and was asking Rhodey to keep my ass out of trouble more often so he asked to retire. I had arranged for him to get into a senior community in Palm Springs…a really nice one so he wouldn't be alone. He argued with me for three days about it, saying he could make his own way in retirement. It was the first time ever that he had ever disagreed with me. I finally convinced him that he had done so much for me to let me do this for him. He agreed and went down to Palm Springs and I paid all the bills, whatever he needed. He would write me occasionally, telling me how much he enjoyed it there and all his new lady friends. I think he was trying to keep up with me on a much older level. When his brother had died a few years ago, I think that was when he listed me as his next of kin."

"He must have meant a lot to you? Why haven't you ever mentioned him?" Pepper asked.

"You know how I am with sentimental things." Tony countered. "He was one of the only people I had after my parents died and he tried his best to take care of me. I did give him one honor that you know of every day. I named Jarvis after him."

"I thought Jarvis meant Just a Really Very Intelligent System?"

"I created that acronym for it. Jarvis was Edwin's last name." Tony admitted.

"So, when are we leaving?"

"Just as soon as I tell Rhodey. He'll want to be there for this as well." Tony replied as he called his best friend.

A few hours later, Tony and Pepper were sitting in the offices of the Wandering Hills retirement community. Tony had Emma curled up against his chest to keep her calm and quiet while Pepper had James.

"Mr. Stark, pleasure to meet you in person finally." The director stated as he sat down. "I have spoken to you on the phone more often."

"What was the cause of death?" Tony asked.

"Just old age. He felt it was time to go." The director replied. "Are you family?"

"He used to work for my family. He was our butler."

The director wrote a few things down on a pad. "Can you give me the items I need for his obituary?"

Tony sighed. This actually brought back memories of doing this at seventeen for his parents. "Most of the stuff you need is in that folder there. I was asked this fifteen years ago." He stated.

The director then opened the folder and found most of the information that he needed. "What kind of funeral would you like?"

"Spare no expense. He deserves the best."

"Where would you like him interred?"

"He seemed to enjoy himself down here so that is fine with me." Tony said as he shifted Emma who was putting his arm to sleep.

"Very well. All seems in order. We can have the funeral and burial tomorrow if that is your wish."

"That is our wish."

The director wrote a few more notes down. "Then the services will be tomorrow at ten in the morning. Good afternoon, Mr. Stark."

Tony and Pepper got up and gave their good byes before Pepper nearly snapped. "He didn't even acknowledge me. That is incredibly rude." She exclaimed.

"He was the same way when I first contacted him fifteen years ago. He didn't believe I was who I said I was and then he made some snide remark that someone that young shouldn't have that much money to play with." Tony replied as they returned to the hotel.

The next morning, Tony and Pepper took the twins and met up with Rhodey to head to the funeral for Edwin.

"I didn't know he was even still alive."

"I made sure he lived like a king. Believe me, he was still alive." Tony commented as the limo drove up to the funeral home.

When they walked inside, Tony was even surprised at how many old women were there. "Looks like Edwin got around more than I used to." He said to Rhodey as they took a seat in the middle of the room.

As they waited for the service to start, so many people approached Tony as if he were Edwin's son or grandson and commented on how cute James and Emma were. He almost felt bad correcting them, saying that he was only his former employer.

It was a short service before they went to the cemetery. At least this time, Tony had an excuse to keep his sunglasses on in the bright southern California sun as he watched the casket being lowered into the ground and the crowd dispersing.

"Think he would have liked this?" Tony asked Rhodey.

"I think Edwin would have finally been completely proud of you and no longer needed to worry." Rhodey said as he looked over at Pepper and the twins. "Maybe this was his way of telling you."

"By the way you two talk about him, I wish I had met him." Pepper said as she tried to shield James' eyes from the sun with a light blanket.

"You and he would have had fun sharing stories about me." Tony admitted as he tucked Emma against his chest to keep her out of the sun.

"I bet I can top him on the worst thing I caught you doing." Pepper said with a smirk as they walked back towards the car.

"Ok, now this I have to hear." Rhodey piped in. "I knew what the worst thing Edwin caught was which was Tony doing his impression of _Risky Business_ and what Edwin and I called Tony Karaoke. What was yours, Pepper?"

"Something she is not going to tell." Tony warned.

"Oh, this has to be good if mister attention grabber doesn't want it told."

"It is definitely embarrassing…very embarrassing." Pepper said with a bigger grin.

"Pepper…" Tony warned again.

"Come on Pepper. This I have to hear." Rhodey said, cutting Tony off.

"Well, it goes back to just after Tony hired me…"


	16. Chapter 16

It was a sweltering southern California day in July and there were two causes to celebrate for once. Nearly every year, Tony had held a Fourth of July party at his home for friends and some select individuals from Stark Industries and others that was usually capped off with a fireworks display that would put Macy's to shame, even with the homemade ones snuck in. The second was that Tony and Pepper had managed to survive the year as husband and wife.

This year's party was a little different for a few reasons as well. It was the first time that the party had been held since Tony's return from Afghanistan. People used to be in and out of the house all day long but those types of parties were long gone. Now, Tony had to see things from a different perspective, like he did with the rest of his life. He had a family now to take care of and was no longer a playboy. He also had something else that he did not quite want to share with the rest of the world, like his whole 'I am Iron Man' admission.

The morning started out very happily. Tony was already in the pool, playing with the twins, while Pepper shielded herself from the blazing sun under an umbrella on the pool deck. James and Emma were splashing around with giggles and calling out 'dada' to play with them, which Tony more than happily obliged them as they ganged up on Daddy.

"Sir, Colonel Rhodes has just arrived." Jarvis' voice came over the splashing.

"Tell him to get his ass out to the pool." Tony called out loud enough so he was sure Rhodey had heard him.

Rhodey came though the house with a duffle bag in his hand. He knew from experience how long this party has a tendency to last. "Hey Tony! Where's the party? Aren't there usually about a hundred people here by now?" he asked as he set his bag down by the door.

"I have changed a few things this year." Tony replied as he was pushing the twins' floats around the pool as they waved to Rhodey. "Only family gets to stay all day."

"Thank you. Is there any particular reason why?"

Tony nodded. "First reason, with hundreds of people here, I can't take James and Emma swimming, which they love. Number two…" Tony said as he tapped at his arc reactor. "Not many people know about this except for everyone here, one emergency room doctor who I swore to secrecy and Obadiah. I have to hide it or face a barrage of questions about why I have it and how I got it that I don't want to deal with. I do not want people knowing another way that they can kill me. I had to watch Obadiah try to do it, ripping it out of my chest and leaving me on the couch to die. At least for a little while, I want to work on my tan and enjoy the pool with my family without having to worry."

"I can completely understand that." Rhodey stated as he walked around the pool to say hello to Pepper. "Don't you usually get extra crispy in the sun?"

"As long as I stay under the umbrella and use SPF 80, I'll be fine." Pepper said with a smile as she took a sip of the cranberry juice she had.

"SPF 80? They actually make sun block that goes that high?" Rhodey inquired.

"Stark industries will be putting it on the mass market next year." Tony interjected before he got splashed in the face by Emma.

"Does your company make first aid supplies as well?" Rhodey asked.

"Some…why do you ask?"

"Because it looks as if your alter ego has been playing a little rough again." Rhodey said as he pointed out a very dark bruise along the left side of Tony's ribs. "Weren't you actually wearing your armor that you spend so much time on?"

"If I wasn't wearing the armor, I would have had a bunch of broken ribs again."

"Now how did this happen this time?" Rhodey inquired.

"I have already been yelled at for it." Tony countered as he looked up at Pepper. "Loudly…"

"Pepper?" Rhodey asked as he faced the equally as imposing Mrs. Stark.

"He was hit by a car." She stated simply.

"How did he get hit by a car?"

"They were trying to get away." Tony added in just as simply as James started to cry because he was getting hungry and he handed him up to Pepper to be fed.

"Getting away from what?"

"A bank robbery."

"So why did you stand in front of the car?"

"Most cars usually stop when something made of metal is in front of them." Tony stated as he picked Emma up out of the float and held her against his chest as he poured water over her back.

"But you stopped them instead?"

"No, they tried to run him over." Pepper interjected as James sucked away on his bottle happily. "Right on the eleven o'clock news."

"So is there a cover story for those who did not see the news?" Rhodey inquired.

"What did we come up with again, Pepper?"

"I came up with the story that you wiped out trying to surf and the board hit you."

"Gotcha." Rhodey said as he tried not to laugh at the way Pepper corrected Tony.

"Now, are you getting into this pool on your own or am I going to have to throw you in." Tony stated as he saw his best friend trying to swallow laughter.

"You would have to catch me first, Tony." Rhodey said as his eyes shifted to the bag on the other end of the pool with his trunks in it.

"Is that a challenge?" Tony asked as he handed Emma to Pepper in preparation.

Rhodey started to back off from the edge of the pool and started to walk around the pool so he could get his suit to change into before Tony DID throw him in. It had happened before.

Tony crossed from one side of the pool to the other and was setting up to jump out and throw Rhodey in.

"You are not throwing me in, Tony."

"That sounds like a challenge to me." Tony said as he ducked under water and took his opportunity to strike. As soon as Rhodey was close enough to the edge, Tony popped up, grabbed the back of his friend's shirt and pulled him into the deep end of the pool.

"I am going to get you for that one, Stark." Rhodey said as he popped up from under the water, dunked Tony and then tried to get out of reach.

"Is this necessary?" Pepper called out between splashes.

"Absolutely!" Tony called back before he pulled Rhodey in for a second time.

After Rhodey had changed into his swimsuit, the rest of the afternoon was filled with food, fun, family and pool volleyball and pool basketball tournaments between Tony and Rhodey. As the twins napped in their playpen, Pepper definitely had to admit that she was enjoying the view. Her eyes were definitely taking in all of Tony as she watched from the safety of the pool deck.

By the early evening, Tony was relaxing in one of the lounge chairs while Rhodey helped himself to the food before the main party started.

"Sir, you asked me to remind you an hour before guests started to arrive."

Tony was pulled from his light snooze by Jarvis' voice. "Thanks Jarvis." He called back as he pulled on his black t-shirt with the _Stark Industries _logo across the chest to hide his arc reactor and ran a quick comb through his hair.

"Handsome as always." Pepper commented as the first of the guests started to arrive.

Over the next several hours, people ate, drank, swam and tried to get any glimpse they could of the two tiny Stark heirs that had been so well hidden for four months. As darkness fell, the fireworks over the ocean started. Pepper covered James' tiny ears as she rocked him to keep him from getting startled while Tony did the same for Emma. The babies were watching the show though just as much as everyone else.

The next morning, the house was finally quiet again. Most of the house was still asleep when Pepper awoke. She got the twins up and fed them breakfast before starting on the morning round of emails. She opened up her inbox and scanned through the subject lines, nothing too out of the ordinary. Pepper also skimmed through the websites of the tabloids to see what damage control may have to be done. She first opened up the National Enquirer and right there on the front page was a picture of Tony…in their pool with Emma…and the arc reactor glowing brightly. The headline read _"Man or machine? What is the truth behind Tony Stark?" _Pepper was furious. She looked at the photo and figured it was taken with a telephoto lens from a boat yesterday. This was going to require more than spin control.

"Tony! Come down here please!" Pepper yelled up the stairs.

Within minutes, a very groggy Tony and a slightly more awake Rhodey came downstairs.

"What's wrong?" Tony said through a yawn.

Pepper pointed at her computer screen. "This is what is wrong…what we wanted to avoid."

Tony saw the picture on the screen – him playing with Emma in the pool and the arc reactor. "Oh shit…game on now."


	17. Chapter 17

Since the publication of that picture, the stress and intensity levels of the house skyrocketed through the roof. Tony himself had been on the phone with his thousand dollar lawyers as soon as the photo broke. The liquor cabinet which had been touched rather minimally over the last months was quickly getting emptied as Tony was spending more late nights in the garage, venting his frustrations and coming to bed well past three or later if he came to bed at all.

His fury had been productive though. Tony could be downright frightening when he really got going and people had a tendency to forget that. Within two days, he had three lawsuits against the photographer, the magazine and both together already being battled out in court. He had also requested arrest warrants to be put out on the photographer and the person driving the boat. During all of this, Iron Man hadn't shown up at all because if he had, there would be nothing left of those two individuals to prosecute.

After the legal reaction, the inevitable requests for both print and television interviews started to come in. Every news agency and television show under the sun was trying to get the exclusive with Tony Stark and the definitive truth about the picture. This was the part that Tony had begun to dread. He had barely told Pepper and Rhodey everything that had happened to him in Afghanistan in two years and now he was being forced to do it in front of the entire world. Trying to avoid this was what led to the explosion that no one wanted to deal with. Tony usually controlled his temper pretty well but not over this.

It had been three days since Tony locked himself in his workshop and Pepper was getting worried. He had even locked her out, probably for her own safety. Jarvis was giving her regular reports on him and she was getting more and more scared by the day. He was almost always drunk and not sleeping. Instead, he would be working until he passed out from exhaustion. Pepper had dealt with him drunk on many occasions but he was usually a goofy drunk. She had never seen him this drunk AND angry. She needed reinforcements.

Rhodey showed up at the door later that evening at Pepper's request. As soon as the door opened, he could see the worry etched all over her face.

"He won't come up. He's angry about all of this and he isn't dealing with it well. He is trying to bottle everything up by drowning it in a bottle. He's scared about the interview and wants to avoid it. Please, talk to him. Last time I saw him this angry, he blew out every window downstairs."

"I can talk to him but there is no guarantee he'll listen." Rhodey replied. "The only way I can guarantee he'll listen is sort of painful."

"What do you mean by painful?" Pepper asked with concern.

"I am going to break through his thick head." Rhodey stated with a bit of sadness. "It's painful because I slam him with total truth and make his brain realize that he is being an ass. It's harsh but it works."

"You have done this to him before?"

Rhodey nodded. "It was just after his eighteenth birthday and he was breaking out of what he called the nerd shell. He got his picture plastered all over the papers when he was roaring drunk and had five women with him and I balled him out for it. I hit him hard where he felt the most pain, what his parents would have thought about it, and I broke him."

"Do you think it will get him out of the garage and thinking straight?" Pepper asked with concerned interest.

"It may but it may be harder to get him this time." Rhodey admitted. "The last time I did it, his parents had barely been dead a month and he was still for the most part a kid. I didn't mean for it to happen last time. This time, you would be asking me to do it and you may need pick up the pieces after it's done."

Pepper understood what Rhodey was saying and she would rather Tony express the pain he was feeling so she could get her husband back rather than killing himself in the basement. "I want my husband back and I will do whatever is necessary. I miss him and the children miss him." She told him.

Rhodey nodded as he mentally prepared himself to take on Tony again. "Come down when Jarvis tells you and be prepared for a lot of apologies on Tony's part." He stated before descending into the garage.

Rhodey peeked inside the garage first before making his presence known. Tony was under one of the cars, seemingly just doing something as simple as an oil change. Then Rhodey saw the glass of scotch next to him and he knew he may be in for a fight.

"Isn't this way above your mechanical skills?" Rhodey called out as he entered the room.

"I do all the work on my cars. I don't trust anyone else to." Tony's voice came from under the car.

"Do you always do it drunk?"

"Who said I was drunk?" Tony countered as he reached for a wrench without sliding out.

"Well, I see at least three empty bottles on the sink there and Pepper says you haven't been up in three days. How quick did you go through them?"

"Does it really matter?" Tony stated with an edge to his voice.

"Yes it does because I don't think Pepper wants to be a widow yet." Rhodey countered. "She's worried about you and scared for you. She called me in a panic because she is afraid to face you right now."

"She has no reason to be scared of me." Tony stated. "I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Well genius, you are hurting her right now by staying locked down here and not talking to her." Rhodey stated bluntly. "What the hell is going through your head that you can't even talk to Pepper about it?"

"She already knows." Tony said quietly. "She knows that I don't want to have to discuss what happened. I had a hard enough time talking to you, my best friend, and her, my wife. How can I tell the rest of the world?" he stated as his hand slipped and he swore under his breath as he knocked the oil pan.

"No one said you had to do it alone. Pepper and I will be right there with you if you wanted it." Rhodey told him. "All you had to do was say something instead of flying off the handle."

"I flew off the handle because of how this happened." Tony stated. "I do not like my hand being forced and that is what they did."

"Don't you think the army of lawyers you sent on them was a strong enough way of fighting back?"

"It's not enough. That doesn't make the nightmares go away. That doesn't keep me from reliving it."

Rhodey knew this side of Tony…the one that needed to be handled carefully without letting him know that he was being handled. "Then how about we do this your way?"

Tony's head whipped around at that. "What do you mean?"

"You like making demands to get your way. You always have." Rhodey stated bluntly. "If they want to try to back you into a corner, you come out with guns blazing. Terrorists tried to kidnap you and kill you and what did you do…you made a suit out of scrap metal and blew them all to hell. These are just vultures looking for scraps to feed on. Out think them."

The wheels in Tony's head were spinning and it was clearly visible when his genius went into overdrive. It was no secret how much Tony liked to mess with the paparazzi sometimes but this was just going to be sweet revenge. When everything was on Tony's playing field, there was no stopping him.

"Jarvis!"

"Yes sir?"

"Tell them to get the jet ready."

"For when and where sir?"

"New York…in two days."


	18. Chapter 18

The terms had been laid out distinctly for the interview and it was sent out as an open invitation to every news agency in the free world. It was sent out like a chum trail to a feeding frenzy of sharks. It would go to the highest bidder so to speak…the one who complied with all of the provisions and would not try to go into their own agenda.

Tony himself had issued these provisions and getting the email signed by him just sent the media into an uproar.

"_To all those interested,_

_A recent photo that was illegally taken has stirred a great deal of interest and controversy which I will answer to one and only one interview. I will only consent to such an interview if the following criteria are met. You must agree to these provisions without argument or renegotiation._

_1. The interview will be taped. I will not do this live, too many opportunities for you to get your own way._

_2. The interview will be conducted where I choose and I will not tell you until just before you need to leave to arrive there for it._

_3. Any and all possible questions must be submitted in writing prior to the interview for my approval. Any deviation from the prewritten questions and it is at my discretion to answer them or not._

_4. I have the right to choose whoever I want to accompany me to the interview and it is up to them whether they wish to be involved._

_If you believe that you can comply with these wishes, you have twenty-four hours to respond._

_Anthony Stark_

_CEO, Stark Industries International"_

That one email sent in a flood of responses in seemingly seconds which lead to a very frustrated Pepper. She was the one who had to sort all through them. She skimmed some of the responses and immediately deleted those from less than respectable news sources. Then out of those that were left, she got rid of those which wanted things on their terms. That left only two… _Dateline_ or _20/20_. Pepper printed out both emails and took them to Tony for his final approval.

After a nap, something to eat and a lot of time playing on the floor with James and Emma, Tony was in a far better mood than he had been before. Rhodey had broken into him but the reaction was different he noted while he was amusing himself with _Flight Simulator_ on Tony's laptop. He was expecting pain and he got steadfast determination to get this done with.

"So where in New York are you planning on doing this?" Rhodey asked his friend on the floor who was getting crawled on by his children.

"Well, I have two choices." Tony said as he was holding James over his head, letting him fly. "Either Stark Industries New York headquarters or the house in the Hamptons."

"I thought you sold all of your parents' houses. You still have the one on Long Island?" Rhodey commented as Pepper walked in with the two emails.

"That's the only one I kept. I didn't even change it that much. I just added Jarvis and updated the security for the most part." Tony said as he took the two sheets from Pepper and read them carefully. "Which one do you two think?"

"It depends on how much you actually want to show." Pepper commented. "Stark Industries will keep the cards close to the chest so to speak and the house in Bridgehampton will show a more human side."

"I vote Long Island." Rhodey chimed in. "They are trying to play you up as a machine so show that you are human. Bonus points, if I remember right, that the house is near the beach as well."

"When did you go there?" Tony asked, as he could not remember when he had brought Rhodey there.

"MIT, senior year." Rhodey stated. "You invited me there for Christmas…without telling your parents if I remember right."

Tony thought about it for a moment and then started laughing. "My mother was gracious to you but clearly not pleased with me. My father grounded me until New Years' for that."

Pepper had a small twinge of jealousy that Rhodey had actually gotten to meet Tony's parents and she never had the chance. "So it sounds like Long Island is the location. Now, which program?"

Tony looked at the questions again. Both of them seemed that they did not want to drag him through hell and back and he could put the appropriate spins on where needed. "Dateline. I like theirs better." He said as he handed the papers back to Pepper. "Tell them yes but do not give them the address until we are in the air tomorrow." He told her. "They're based in New York so it won't be too hard for them to just go down the Long Island Expressway."

Pepper nodded in agreement but stopped before going back into her office to send the response. "Why did you decide on New York? Why not here?" she asked with curiosity.

"I don't want them near here again." Tony said seriously. "And I plan on giving them an atom bomb to play with. They think they are getting Tony Stark; billionaire playboy genius turned Iron Man. What they will be getting is Anthony Stark, son of Manhattan Project developer Howard Stark and everything that goes along with it. I may have spent most of my life in California but I do know how to play New York's games. I did occasionally watch my father at work."

At that phrase, Rhodey stopped playing on the computer and looked to Tony. He knew that side of Tony existed but he had rarely seen it. He could count how many times he had seen that side on one hand and that side could be frightening. That mask wasn't truly Tony. It was his father in all his glory. It was a darkly serious side that many people did not want to see. It was a side that came in appearing unassuming but attacked like a predator on prey. It was the side that was cold and as hard as steel. It was the side that ran Stark Industries until Howard Stark was killed.

The next morning, the private jet landed at JFK International Airport with as little fanfare as possible. If people hadn't known that the Stark Industries jet had just landed on the runway, no one would have noticed a man in a t-shirt and jeans and a faded Yankees hat on backwards and sunglasses with his wife and children. The only thing that would have even possibly given them away was the stretch limousine that they got into that headed down the Long Island Expressway.

A few hours later, Rhodey pulled into the very long driveway to find Tony, Pepper and the twins down by the ocean. There were a few small sand castles around the beach as it seemed that the only one still awake was Pepper. The twins were curled up in their playpen with a towel over top to block the sun and Tony was stretched out on a beach blanket in the sand, sound asleep with his sunglasses still on.

"We were wondering when you were going to get here." Pepper said warmly as she cleared off a chair for him and woke Tony.

"I flew into Stewart AFB in Newburgh and drove down here." Rhodey said as he sat down and playfully kicked Tony to get him moving.

"You could have come in with us, you know." Tony said with a groan as he rubbed his side. "And you didn't need to kick me."

"Yes I did. You looked too comfortable there." Rhodey said with a laugh. "So, isn't the interview today?"

"Tonight. We wanted to have a little fun before I unleashed hell." Tony said as he finally sat up. "So, pull up some sand. Add another castle there to the empire we started. Jump some waves and then we attack at dusk."

As the sun set and the camera crew pulled up the driveway, a different Tony stood at the back door looking out at the pool as Emma slept against his shoulder. The obsidian black suit made him seem almost ominous and he was letting himself slip into what he called the New York side. Deep down he was grateful that Pepper and Rhodey would be with him to give him the strength that his façade portrayed.

When the reporter was let in by Pepper, she showed no intimidation from what she was greeted with, the legendary CEO of Stark Industries and his wife and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force. She introduced herself to Tony as he handed Emma off to Pepper and he showed her into the living room where they would be conducting the interview.

"I have a few questions before we start." She asked as the camera was setting up.

Tony instantly put his guard up. "Go ahead."

"Will anyone else joining you?"

"My wife Virginia and my best friend, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes have the option to join in if they wish." Tony said coolly.

"Why did you want it taped?"

"If you didn't notice, I have two very young children," Tony started. "If they wake up during this, you wouldn't want the interview interrupted on live television."

Pepper took a seat next to Tony on the couch while Rhodey sat in one of the chairs off camera for the moment as the reporter sat across from Tony and Pepper and gave the signal that they were ready to start.

"Tonight, we have an exclusive interview with Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries International and recently Iron Man. We are joined by Mr. and Mrs. Stark. Good evening to you both."

"Good evening." Tony and Pepper replied.

"Let's start off for the reason behind this interview. Why did you send out the blanket summons, Mr. Stark?"

"I felt some issues needed to be addressed after a tabloid published certain photos that were illegally taken of my back yard."

"How long have you had these issues with the tabloids and an invasion of privacy?"

"Since I was a child. My face has been on magazine covers since I entered MIT at eleven."

"Wouldn't you say then you were used to it by now?"

"I know I am fair game for such garbage on many occasions but when they invade my home to try to get a photo and get one of my children in it, that's where I draw the line. My family is off limits and that is not negotiable."

"You were once almost a weekly guarantee in the tabloids with the reputation of being a playboy but the last two years, things have changed. You now have a beautiful wife and two sweet children. You are seemingly a different person. What led to this change?"

"I made a promise to someone." Tony answered purposely vaguely.

"What was this promise?'

"That I would not waist my life. He pointed out to me that I was a man with everything but truly had nothing."

"Where were you when this promise was made?"

"A cave in Afghanistan."

"Can you tell us how you ended up in a cave in Afghanistan?"

Tony took a deep breath and moved slowly to take Pepper's hand. "I was demonstrating a new weapon to the U.S. Military." He started off carefully. "After it was finished, the convoy that we were in that was going back to the base was attacked by militants."

"What happened during the attack?"

"A missile first separated the convoy and then between a combination of small arms fire and rockets, many were killed or injured, including the four soldiers who were assigned to protect me. When they were all dead, I got out of the humvee and tried to contact my friend, Colonel Rhodes but the call never got through."

"Why not?"

"Because a missile fell right next to me." Tony answered bluntly. "I tried to run from it but it went off and then next thing I knew, I was on my back with blood starting to spread over my chest."

"What happened next?"

"What happened next is a little fuzzy because I kept blacking out." Tony stated. "The first time I came to, I was tied to a chair with guns pointed at my head and a video camera light blinding me." Tony explained as Pepper gripped his hand tighter for her own sake since she had the joy of seeing that video. "The second time someone was operating on me to remove all the shrapnel that had gone into me from the missile. The third time I awoke with a tube down my nose, my chest bandaged and attached to a car battery and being told that I would make the missile that I had demonstrated for them with the veritable stockpile of munitions that they had. I didn't have many options at the moment so I was forced to do what they wanted." He explained.

"But you don't seem the type that does what he's told."

"Not really." Tony said with a small laugh. "I went down pretty far into the pit of despair and was almost accepting my fate that I would be dead in a week until Yinsen, the man who saved my life, said that I should make it a very important week if it was to be my last."

"Was this how Iron Man was born?"

"In a roundabout way…yes." Tony replied. "I made a bigger stick so to speak. I needed a way to escape and making some sort of armor from the tons of metal that they had around seemed like a pretty good idea. But armor wasn't going to do it alone so I added a few tricks."

The reporter saw the stress and worry etched into Pepper's face as Tony spoke and she had to address it. "This seems particularly hard for you, Mrs. Stark. How did you last during this time?"

Pepper put on the mask of indifference that she had mastered during the years as Tony's Personal Assistant. "It is always hard to hear about the pain and suffering of someone you care for. I kept doing what I did every day as best that I could to keep from feeling the aching inside but it didn't always work. I was his Personal Assistant and his friend and being without him for three months, not knowing if he was dead or alive is something I would not wish on my worst enemy."

"How did you do this while attached to a car battery?" the reporter asked, turning back to Tony.

"That was the first thing I remedied." Tony said. "And it relates to that damned picture that was published." he added as the reporter pulled out the photo and saw the light in his chest.

"What exactly is that?"

"It's a power source that is far more convenient to carry around than a car battery to power the electromagnet that keeps the shrapnel that is still inside me from killing me." Tony stated bluntly. "It's kind of like a pace maker in a way with a light leading towards the future. It is an ever present reminder of what I promised Yinsen when I left that cave three months after I was forced in."

"What happened to the man that saved your life?"

"Which one?" Tony questioned back.

"There is more than one?"

"Yes. Yinsen, who finally got to go back his family in a far more beautiful place than where he left them and the gentleman sitting to my left here, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, USAF, my best friend since MIT. He was the one who finally pulled me out of the desert. Never was I so happy to hear the sound of chopper blades."

"Is that the happiest day of your life?"

"One of them." Tony stated. "I have several. The day I was rescued, my wedding day and the day I brought my children home from the hospital."

"Not the day they were born?"

"That day was not easy. They were four weeks early and in the NICU for some time. It is painful for a parent to see their child in distress and they can't do anything. I am the type of person that sees something wrong and tries to fix it, usually with something mechanical, and my hands were tied."

"Where do you see yourself in the future?"

Tony thought about it for a moment. "I would like to see the day now when a world exists in which my weapons are not needed and neither is Iron Man but I know very well that will not happen in my lifetime but I can sure as hell try."

"That seems like an admirable future and I would like to thank you for this opportunity. You definitely put to bed some of the old stereotypes that you were associated with."

"You're welcome and I put those away two years ago. Many just didn't care to notice."

At the end of the interview, the reporter thanked them all again and made her exit and the van wasn't even far down the driveway before Tony threw off the mask he was wearing. It went off just as fast as his jacket, tie and shoes and socks. It was a visible change how the stress melted off of him.

"Hey Rhodey, watch the kids for a little while." Tony said with a devilish grin as he grabbed Pepper's hand and nearly sprinted with her to the beach under the moonlight, forcing Pepper to abandon her stilettos to keep up with him.

Once he hit the sand, Tony spun Pepper around and pulled her into a deep kiss with a huge grin on his face.

"What is this all about?" Pepper asked when Tony finally let her breathe.

"Isn't it obvious? I would think you could figure this one out after this long." Tony said with a laugh as he pulled her close and almost started to dance with her as the waves crashed around their feet, feeling the warmth of her through her dress and just sending him higher than he already was.

"I figured that much but you just turned on like a light switch." Pepper said as she kissed him again.

"It's been there for the past few days…just with a shade over it." Tony said as he pulled Pepper to the sand.

The next morning, Rhodey came down expecting to find two very happy people after he could figure out what went on when they hit the beach. He went to bed, laughing to himself at how Tony would always find time for his favorite pastime. But what he actually saw was something quite different. Pepper was half sitting half lying against the arm of the couch with her arm almost protectively around Tony, who was asleep against her stomach. When she turned her head at the sound of the footsteps on the stairs, Rhodey could easily see that her eyes were red and bloodshot from crying and it was the first time she didn't say good morning.

"Pepper, what happened?" Rhodey whispered in concern as to not wake Tony.

"The nightmares came back." Pepper whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

"Pepper, what happened?" Rhodey whispered in concern as to not wake Tony.

"The nightmares came back." Pepper whispered.

Those four words sent chills down Rhodey's spine. He had known that Tony was suffering from nightmares right after Afghanistan. They were hard to hide in the few days that it took to get back to California when Tony woke up screaming and shaking. Pepper had talked to him many times out of concern when she noticed how little Tony was actually sleeping. He would only sleep when his body was near collapse from exhaustion. This went on most likely up until Pepper had finally accepted the love he was finally so willingly giving.

"Perhaps we should go someplace else so we don't wake him?" Rhodey whispered.

"I would love to but I am stuck." Pepper replied. "I know if I move, he will wake up. After a nightmare he doesn't sleep well.

"I think if you slip out slowly, he won't wake up." Rhodey suggested.

Tony stirred in his sleep but quickly settled as Pepper slowly moved so she could get free, settling a pillow under Tony's head before heading out into the kitchen with Rhodey.

"Did we do this to him?" Rhodey whispered as he poured himself some coffee.

"I don't know but we couldn't have helped it." Pepper said as she wiped at her eyes again. "We forced him to do the interview in a matter of speaking. The two people who are supposed to care about him most did this. An apology just isn't enough this time. We hurt him."

"He's strong. He got through this once. He should be able to do it again." Rhodey stated. "How did he before?"

"Probably me." Pepper sighed. "Someone showed that they cared about him and he wasn't alone anymore." She continued before her eyes shifted towards an empty couch. "Where did he go?"

"What?" Rhodey exclaimed as he turned around to see the couch empty and Tony gone. All that was left was a piece of paper.

Pepper got up from the stool she was sitting on and picked up the piece of paper and she could feel the emotions coming off in waves. Anger, sadness, pain…

"Don't talk about me like I am not here. – Tony" she read as tears stung her eyes again. "He heard everything we said." she sighed as she let the paper fall from her hands. "Now it is worse than before."

"Maybe we have a chance. It will take him more than two and a half hours to get off Long Island." Rhodey stated as he remembered what Tony had told him about the house. "Jarvis? How many cars does Tony have here?"

"Three, Colonel Rhodes."

"What ones?"

"An Audi, a Ferrari and a corvette."

"Which one did he take?"

"The corvette, Colonel Rhodes."

Rhodey thought about it for a moment. "Is that the corvette that he got for his birthday from his father?"

"Yes it is."

"Did he change the license plates?"

"Only from California to New York."

"Did he put you into any of these cars, Jarvis?"

"All of them, sir. He had a little trouble with the Ferrari and the corvette but he managed it." Jarvis replied.

"There's our answer. Jarvis can get a hold of him since Tony hooked him up to every car he has." Rhodey said with a smile. "If that doesn't work, I'll put out an All Points Bulletin on a 1984 red convertible corvette with the license plate STARK 1. We'll get him back."

"I hope you're right about this because if he gets even angrier, I am letting him at you." Pepper stated as the sound of two cries started to pierce the house. She ran upstairs to get the twins and came back to the living room couch where James quieted as soon as he got his bottle. Emma refused to stop crying without her daddy there.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, madam?"

"Could you please contact Mr. Stark and tell him that his family is worried about him?"

"Right away." Jarvis replied and then fell silent for a few moments. "Mr. Stark says that he is not going to get into trouble or get drunk. He wants to clear his head and be left alone right now. He also said that if he had brought his suit with him, he would have gone flying but since he didn't, he would have to settle for the Long Island Expressway."

"How did he sound, Jarvis?" Pepper asked as she desperately tried to quiet Emma.

"He sounded angry and upset. I think it would be best at this moment to give him his space as he requested."

"Where was he headed?" Pepper asked worriedly.

"All he will let me say is that he was heading west. Mr. Stark has blocked me from revealing any more." Jarvis replied before falling silent again.

Pepper looked up at Rhodey with a feeling of sheer helplessness as she rocked Emma.

"I think he's tied our hands now." Rhodey conceded. "Why won't she stop crying? Is she sick?"

"The only one who can get her quiet is Tony." Pepper sighed. "She will cry herself hoarse first before quieting for me. He won't tell me his secret on how he gets her to calm down for only him."

Hours had passed and no more word was heard from Tony as it was getting dark. Emma had screamed herself into exhaustion in Pepper's arms and now just laid there hiccupping because she had no more tears to cry as James was curled up on the other side. Pepper was a wreck and not hiding it. She was wondering when and if Tony would come back. Then it hit her.

"I know how to get Tony back for certain." She exclaimed as her face suddenly brightened and she wondered why she did not think of it before.

"So what is this brilliant idea?" Rhodey asked as he forced down his own anger at his best friend for taking off.

"Emma." Pepper stated simply. "He can not resist her. If he hears her over the phone, he will almost be certain to come back."

"Are you sure about this? Will Emma speak when we want her to?" Rhodey questioned as he looked at the very exhausted baby.

"If she hears Tony's voice, I guarantee it. She is a Daddy's girl for certain." Pepper stated as she shifted Emma so she was sitting up. "Jarvis, please dial Mr. Stark's cell phone." She instructed. As soon as she heard the phone ring, she put the phone up to Emma's ear.

Tony heard Pepper's ring tone and he expected to be yelled at for being away so long so he steeled himself up before picking up the phone. "Yes?" he answered.

"Dada?" Emma said quietly as she instantly perked up at the sound of Tony's voice.

"Emma?"

"Dada…dada…dada…" Emma repeated as she started crying again. It was painfully obvious who she wanted.

"I'm already there. Take a look around. I am the sunshine in your hair. I am the shadow on the ground. I'm the whisper in the wind. I'm your imaginary friend. I know I am in your prayers. I'm already there." Tony sang quietly to Emma, quickly soothing her tears to soft sniffles.

Pepper could hear his voice breaking on the other end of the phone as she took up the phone. "She has been crying since you left." She told him, trying to keep her emotions down.

"That's not fair, Pepper." Tony said with his voice thick with unshed tears.

"You needed to be reminded who else you leave behind when you go off like this." Pepper countered. "Where are you?"

"I am actually not that far away. I didn't even leave the county." Tony said. "And I left so I could cool off. I am sure you read my note."

"Yes and both Rhodey and I are sorry. We share in worrying about you and we feel that this is somehow our fault.

"It's not your fault." Tony said as his voice cracked again. "It's mine."

"What do you mean it's yours?" Pepper asked gently, knowing full well she was getting to him.

"I let my guard down and they got back in. I was just angry at what I heard and if I didn't leave when I did, I would have at least floored Rhodey."

"When are you coming home and where are you?"

"I am in Port Jefferson." Tony stated. "I found an old movie theatre here and I have been in it all day watching classic movies. I'll be back in about two hours."

"Good, because I don't think your daughter will hold out for you much longer."

"She cried herself hoarse, didn't she?"

"Very much so. She cried so much so that James just began to ignore her instead of turning toward her when she cried."

"Set her in her crib and I'll get her when I come home and give her a kiss from me."

"Hurry home, Tony." Pepper said as a few tears slid down her face.

"I will do my best but I can't go as fast as I normally do. Suffolk County cops see a guy driving around in a red corvette and they are just itching to nail me. They get trigger happy with the tickets and it gets worse if I try to out run them." Tony said with a small laugh. "I love you Pepper."

"I love you too, Tony." She said before hanging up the phone.

By the time Tony had gotten home, the house was darkened except for the soft light of the TV that Rhodey had fallen asleep in front of. Tony peeked at the TV and wondered why on earth Rhodey was watching _I Dream of Jeannie_. He crept upstairs to Emma's room and his little girl woke up as soon as he walked in the room.

"So you gave mom a hard time in my absence, huh?" Tony whispered to Emma as he picked her up and cradled her against his chest. "I guess someone has to if I don't." he added with a small laugh as he carried her downstairs and outside to the backyard where the pool was.

Tony wrapped her blanket around her back as he swayed with her head against his shoulder, singing softly to her. Both of them were quickly relaxing.

Pepper had been listening for when Tony got back and she crept downstairs to see what he actually did when she heard him pick up Emma. She stayed in the darkness of the shadows as she watched Tony with Emma with a smile.

"He dances with her…" Pepper thought to herself. "It calms him down so of course it works on her. Music soothes them both."

Pepper headed back up to bed with her newfound and comforting knowledge, leaving father and daughter to find their shared peace.

_Author's Note: song lyrics from 'I'm Already There' by Lonestar_


	20. Chapter 20

The garage was filled with the sounds of happiness as Pepper descended the stairs. The music was blasting as well as the TV was. Tony was sitting on one of the wheels with James on his lap, Still in his tee ball shirt and with his toy space shuttle in his hand, James was eagerly pointing at various things under the hood of the hot rod which Tony was more than happy to explain as father and son were both covered in grease.

Emma was sitting at Tony's drafting table with a big box of crayons and a large drawing pad, working on a masterpiece. She swung her tap-shoed feet freely as her pigtails bounced to the music she was listening to on an enormous set of head phones.

Out of habit, Pepper turned down the music before she entered.

"It wasn't that loud." Tony said as he looked up briefly before going back James and the joy of engine valves.

"I just got off the phone with James' and Emma's teacher."

"What does she want now?" Tony groaned.

"Apparently she has some concerns and she wants to meet with us."

Tony rolled his eyes and looked to the two children. "Jamie, do you two aggravate your teacher?"

"No Daddy. We do what she tells us to do." James replied.

"Emma, does the teacher ever yell at you?"

Emma nodded. "We do the work fast and she yells because we're done. We don't bother anyone."

Tony then turned to Pepper. "I told you she was nuts."

"Never the less, she wants to meet us tomorrow at three."

"Fine, we'll go and see what crap the battleaxe has to say." Tony groaned. "Jamie, go grab me the socket wrench." He told his son as he let him off his knee. "Emma, how's my new office art coming?"

"Not done yet, Daddy. Not perfect." Emma stated as she grabbed a few more crayons.

"I thought you were supposed to be watching them." Pepper stated.

"I am watching them." Tony protested. "I got Jamie from his game and Emma from dance lessons and we have been playing down here since then. And I have Jarvis backing me up."

"He has been doing an excellent job, madam." Jarvis interjected. "Anything other than happy giggles and Mr. Stark has been right on top of it."

"Thank you Jarvis." Tony said with a smirk. "I never programmed him with the ability to lie."

Pepper had a look on her face knowing full well she just got ganged up on. "Well, since you were the one who got them dirty, you can give them their bath." She said as she threw down the gauntlet in retaliation.

"I'm not dirty." Emma said proudly as she held up her hands.

"Fine, you can wait until bedtime." Pepper said in retraction. "But not you, young man." She said, pointing to James.

"I guess that means that playtime is over." Tony said a little sadly as he hoisted James up over his shoulder. "Let's go grease monkey before Mom gets even madder at us." He said as he carried a laughing and kicking James up to the bathroom.

"Let's go, Emma and see what we can do for dinner before the boys get back." Pepper said as she helped her daughter down and took her hand to walk upstairs.

"Or there may not be food left when Daddy and Jamie are done." Emma said. "They eat like elephants."

It wasn't long before a decidedly cleaner James came running down the stairs and sat down at the table with Pepper and Emma.

"Where's your father?" Pepper asked.

"In the shower," James replied. "He was saying something before I came down but I didn't hear what. He didn't sound happy."

Pepper had a distinct feeling what Tony had mumbled and she started laughing. "Jarvis? What did Mr. Stark say?"

"He mentioned something about a wet dog but he wasn't very articulate."

Pepper burst out laughing as Tony came down stairs, also more grease free.

"I am glad you found that funny," Tony stated as he sat down with a quick glance to the ceiling. "Benedict Arnold," he mumbled under his breath before starting dinner. He swore that if Jarvis had the ability to laugh, he would have been laughing his ass off at his creator trying to wrangle a five year old in a bathtub where he got nearly as wet as the boy.

Later that night, the only sounds that could be heard in the mansion were that of the rain outside and the waves crashing against the rocks. It was a calm that did not descend on this house often.

There were distinct advantages to putting the children to bed early and Tony and Pepper took full advantage of them. Now, blissfully exhausted, Tony spooned behind Pepper, pulling her body into his, one of his arms draped over her ribs and his thumb lazily caressing one of her breasts as he was drifting off to sleep.

As Tony pulled Pepper in close, she let out a small squeak and jumped at bit, pulling Tony right back to wakefulness.

"What was that?" Tony asked as he refused to let go of his wife.

"I always know it's there but there are times when the metal of your arc reactor can be cold and it's surprising." Pepper admitted as she laid back down, curling herself into Tony's embrace.

"How can it be cold? It should be the same temperature as me."

"You are very warm…deliciously so and metal just doesn't have the same sensations." Pepper whispered, knowing Tony was smirking at her boost to his ego which he never truly needed.

Tony nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose as his body was giving up the fight to stay awake. Amazing sex can be exhausting. His eyes had only been shut for a matter of seconds when a distinct cry for "Daddy!" had shot through the house.

"Damn it," Tony mumbled under his breath as he sat up. "Who was that Jarvis?"

"Master James, sir."

"Tell him I will be right there." He said as he pushed back the blankets, which Pepper promptly stole to replace the warmth she had with Tony. "Where did my pants go?"

"I think you kicked them off the end of the bed at some point in time." Pepper told him as she enjoyed the view.

Tony found his pajama pants at the end of the bed where Pepper had said and he pulled them on. "I better not find anything different in here when I get back or I will just have to exhaust you again."

"I think I may have exhausted you." Pepper said with a small laugh.

"It takes a great deal of stamina for twice in a row." Tony countered as he unlocked the door and headed down the darkened hallway to his son's bedroom.

Tony peeked into James' bedroom and saw his son sitting up, backed up against his head board and looking around wide eyed. "What's wrong, Jamie?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"There was something in my closet. Monster maybe." James replied as he pointed to the offending partially open door.

Tony looked at the door and had to suppress the smile that wanted to get out. "There is no way that a monster could be in there. How would he fit?"

"It wasn't huge. It could fit." James protested.

"Well, if it wasn't huge as you say, then you could take him." Tony stated, trying to give the boy confidence.

"How?" James asked with curiosity.

"Well remember when we watched _Monsters, Inc_., Boo beat the snot out of Randall with a baseball bat?" Tony started as his son nodded. "You have one of those in the corner over there." He continued as he pointed to his son's tee ball bat. "And you have something else…" Tony said as he scanned the room quickly and then ducked under the bed to pull out a Nerf gun. "You see one monster even try to get in here and knock off a few rounds from this and I assure you, no more monster." He said as he handed the toy to his son. "If that doesn't work, just tell the monster who I am and I doubt he will want to mess with Iron Man."

James' worried face melted away and it was soon replaced with a smile as he shifted to lie back down. "I got it. Use brains over creepy." He said as Tony tucked him back in.

"Good night, kiddo." Tony said, giving James a hug before getting up from the bed. He was about to turn back into his bedroom when he heard another scream, a distinctly more girlish scream. Tony went down to Emma's room and found her in a very similar position that her brother just had. Tony knew with Emma, he would need a different tactic. "What happened, Emma?" he asked gently as he picked Emma up and sat her on his lap.

Emma quickly latched on to her father's neck and tried to curl up as much as possible. "Something ran from under my bed into my closet." She whispered. "A monster tried to take my bunny."

Tony laughed to himself at the stampede of monsters tonight. "I assure you that there was no monster."

"How do you know?" Emma countered.

"I know for one definite reason." Tony said with confidence as he held his daughter. "Jarvis would have told me before you even knew the monster was there. He would have said, 'Sir, there is a monster that needs dealing with in your daughter's bedroom.' And I would have come in here and taken the thing out with my bare hands. If I couldn't do it like that, I would have gone downstairs, gotten my armor on and come up here as Iron Man and blasted the monster out of here. Do you think that monster could stand up to me?"

Emma shook her head as a small smile formed on her lips. "No one beats you."

"You got that right." Tony said as he placed a kiss on the top of his daughter's dark brown hair. "Ready to go back to sleep?"

Emma shook her head no as she seemed to hold on tighter.

"What do you want, princess?"

Emma looked up, right into her father's eyes and put on her best needy puppy look, something she had to have inherited from Tony himself.

"Just one and then bedtime." Tony conceded. Pepper was right; he had no will power when it came to Emma. Tony shifted himself slightly so he could stand up and Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder as he hummed softly at first, swaying just a little bit with her.

"_Smile though your heart is aching,  
Smile even though it's breaking,  
When there are clouds in the sky you'll get by,  
If you smile through your fear and sorrow,_

Smile and maybe tomorrow,  
you'll see the sun come shining through; for you

Light up your face with gladness,  
Hide every trace of sadness,

Although a tear may be ever so near,  
That's the time,  
You must keep on trying,

Smile, what's the use of crying,  
You'll find that life is still worth-while,  
If you just smile,"

By the time Tony had finished signing to Emma, she was sound asleep on his shoulder. As he tucked her into bed, he had to admit that he would hate the day when she out grew this.

He crept quietly down the hall back to his own bedroom, locked the door again, took the pajama pants back off and crawled into bed right behind Pepper again, curling around her body. He smiled in the darkness as he still felt her skin against his as he kissed her softly before going to sleep.

The next day had a decidedly less fun factor. Tony and Pepper sat in the vacated classroom of their children's teacher while James and Emma were outside and Tony was already getting fidgety waiting and playing out what may come out of his mouth at this woman.

When the teacher finally came in from putting the children on the buses, Tony had to bite his tongue. The woman was obviously older and looked like a complete school marm.

"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Stark. I called this meeting because I am highly concerned about James and Emma."

"Do you think there is something wrong?" Pepper asked as a hint of defensiveness already in her voice to protect her children.

"After some observations, I believe that both of your children may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and they should probably be put on medication to correct it."

"Are you out of your mind?" Tony blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. What evidence do you have to actually back that up?"

"I often see your children daydreaming and they have trouble focusing." The teacher countered, clearly not liking the defensive position.

Tony wondered if she was talking about the right kids. One thing his children definitely had was focus. "Have they ever once not handed in an assignment that was unfinished?"

"Well…no."

"Have they ever handed in an assignment that was not entirely correct?" Tony spat as he could see the thinly veiled insults to his children for this woman who he did not like.

The teacher hesitated. "No."

"They're bored." Tony quickly stated.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark?" the teacher countered defensively. "I have been teaching for over twenty-five years and I know ADHD when I see it. Your children are classic examples."

"Well that's good for you and all but you have known our children for what…two months…and I think I know my own kids a little better. They are not distracted, they're bored. They finish all you give them so fast because they have been doing this basic work since they could talk. Last time I checked, intelligence was highly prized and not something that was supposed to be punished."

"Mr. Stark, this material should all be very new to your children. How could they be bored?"

"Because they are both geniuses and can do stuff that is far harder." Tony stated as he glanced at the piles of worksheets on the teacher's desk. "They can do this backwards and with their eyes closed. You're insulting them."

"Mr. Stark, the level of intellect you are speaking of is nearly impossible. It has to be…"

"Genetic?" Tony finished. "Have you been in a box for most of your life? Remember any news articles about a fourteen year old who graduated with two Bachelor's degrees from MIT in 1979 or the same person at seventeen receiving a Master's in Electrical Engineering from the same institution? I assure you, my children's IQs are nearly as high as mine. Do I actually have to prove it?"

The teacher was now furious and wanted to call Tony out. "Yes. I would like some proof of this."

"I can't believe I actually have to do this." Tony groaned to Pepper. No one ever asked him to prove his genius. Most people saw it in what he did alone. "Standardized tests are probably the easiest. Go to the College Board's website and pull up the exam for AP Calculus. Give me any problem on there and I will solve it in seconds without even seeing it. Then call in James and Emma one at a time, give them each a different problem, let them see it and I assure you that each one will be right."

The teacher pulled up the website and purposely pulled up the more difficult Calculus exam and chose one of the free response questions and gave it to Tony. He spat out the answer in a matter of seconds, completely correct. The teacher's jaw dropped as she asked Pepper, who knew when not to interject and was staying mostly silent, to bring in James.

James held Pepper's hand as he walked in, looking a little nervous. The teacher asked him to do another of the free responses. Tony handed James a piece of paper and the little boy worked out the problem and gave it to his teacher who was put into shock for a second time when she saw the correct answer.

As James walked out, Emma came in and crawled right up on to Tony's lap as the teacher gave her one more problem. She flipped the paper over that her brother had used and scratched out the right answer as well.

"Emma, wait outside with Jamie while Daddy and I finish with your teacher." Pepper said gently to their daughter as she could see Tony barely reigning in his temper.

Once the children were out of earshot, Tony continued with his full on assault. "Is that enough proof for you?" he spat.

"Yes…but…"

"But what? I have just proven to you what I said and you still have protests. You still insist that they are ADHD when in reality; they could probably run circles around you if they weren't so polite and well behaved. You want them medicated and dumbed down so they stay on track with everyone else when they are clearly well above and beyond."

"Mr. Stark…"

"I am not finished and no one interrupts me. Heads of State even know that." Tony spat. "My wife and I sent our children here because we wanted them to have as normal a childhood as possible, something I did not have because of my intellect. According to you, that is not possible. So, right from here, I will head down to the administration and have them put where they belong…high school levels. From there, they can get the proper teachers and we'll educate them at home until they go above that. Since I did at eleven, I expect that they will do the same. So, thank you for pointing all this out. For once, I am actually glad that they do so much else with other children because then they won't miss their friends. Now, this is over." Tony said as he stood up and walked out, taking James and Emma to the car with him.

"I am sorry that it had to come to this but I did say you were wrong over the phone." Pepper said calmly as she left the stunned teacher in the classroom.

She went out to the limousine that was parked outside the school and slid into the back seat. James and Emma were already buckled in and Tony was sitting by one of the windows with one hand over his eyes, warding off the headache that was clearly taking hold and the other holding a scotch on the rocks that he had made from the bar in the backseat.

Tony loudly ordered Happy to take them home. "I told you she was nuts." He said quietly and in a much calmer tone.

"I don't think she knew what she was walking into when she insisted on seeing both of us." Pepper stated as she ran her thumb over the back of Tony's hand. "But if she hadn't met with you, I doubt she would have understood as well."

"Understood what? That woman is clearly a half-brained idiot."

"What is truly like to tangle with the extreme intellect that is Stark genius."

The next day began a new routine for James and Emma. Instead of school in the traditional sense, they went into Stark Industries with Tony and Pepper.

Tony was sitting in his office in between all the meetings that Pepper had him scheduled for, chatting it up with Rhodey while James and Emma played quietly when someone knocked at his door.

"Mr. Stark? I have the children's agenda for the day." The young woman said.

"Fire away Jeannie."

"From nine to one, they are meeting with their tutors. At three, Emma has her dance lesson followed by her horseback riding lesson. Concurrently, James has his karate class and a tee ball game at 4:30. Mrs. Stark will ask you later which one you will be attending. If there is nothing else to add, I will take the children to meet up with their tutors."

"You know I am not the one to ask that to, Jeannie." Tony said with a smile as he hugged each of his children before sending them off. "Be careful with them."

"I always am, sir." Jeannie replied before warmly greeting James and Emma and taking each of their hands.

"When did you hire another secretary?" Rhodey inquired.

"She's not my secretary."

Rhodey had to make sure what he just heard. "Your children have a secretary?"

"Not exactly. She is more of a social coordinator slash babysitter." Tony explained. "Pepper has her hands full enough with keeping my ass in line. She is actually part of Pepper's staff. Pepper gives her the kids' schedules and she sees that they are in the right place at the right time. It is also good because James and Emma love her and she watches them when Pepper or I can't."

"When did Pepper get a staff? Have I been missing something here?"

"Pepper has had one for a while. I think she asked me for one after a few years of working for me and realizing that I am a handful. Her staff deals with the little things she doesn't have time for. All of them answer to Pepper but everyone answers to me."

"So that was how you didn't run Pepper into the ground?" Rhodey stated. "I was always curious about that since Pepper never seemed to knock off work at a normal hour."

"She was always working. Remember, as you know, if I am not watched at all times, I have a tendency to get into trouble." Tony said with a shared laugh with Rhodey.

_Author's Note: Smile – music by Charlie Chaplin, lyrics by __John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons_


	21. Chapter 21

PEOPLE – THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW – AMERICA'S BRIGHTEST

_**PEOPLE – THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW – AMERICA'S BRIGHTEST**_

_**THE HEIRS TO THE EMPIRE - James and Emma Stark**_

_If anyone were to see James and Emma Stark, 13, on the street, one would easily believe that they were just normal teenagers with interests in sports, friends, shopping, computers and having fun. What they would not realize is how wrong they would be._

_James, the older of the twins by one minute, is currently a junior at MIT with majors in Astrophysics, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and a minor in Computer Science. Education aside, James excels at whatever he does. He is a black belt in Karate, which he has been studying since he was five, and the All-Star short stop for his baseball team in Malibu, having helped to led his team to at least three championship titles and gained the interest of the MLB already. Despite the fact that he can probably disassemble and reassemble any of the Stark Industries tech just as well as his famous father, Tony Stark, James has one dream to aspire to – to become a NASA astronaut._

_Emma is not one to be outdone by her brother. She is currently a junior at Harvard University with majors in __Business, Government and the International Economy__ as well as Modern languages with concentrations in Italian and Russian, while concurrently doing a minor in music and drama online through Vassar College. Like her brother, Emma has her own list of achievements to brag about. She is an accomplished equestrian, holding the junior world champion title and already having talk of her representing the United States in the Olympics once she turns eighteen. She also has been part of several champion dance teams. While her brother is more like the tech side of Stark Industries, Emma is the money. There has already been speculation that she will succeed her father as CEO of the international corporation._

_The heirs to the Iron Empire have big shoes to fill when they are the children of Tony Stark and the grandchildren of Howard Stark but it seems that they are already shooting for the stars._

Tony and Pepper were carefully scanning over the final draft of the first article they had allowed to be written about their children. James and Emma were thoroughly excited about being in _PEOPLE _and were only allowed to do any of it if Tony and Pepper got final approval of anything that was written and all photos. Pepper got the job of reading the article and Tony had final say over the photos.

There was an entire montage of photos of both of them together and each doing their favorite things separately. The main photo was of James and Emma, back to back, each wearing their college t-shirt. Emma's side included her on her horse, Iron Maiden, during a competition and her dance team. James' side showed him in his karate uniform and during the State finals for baseball while playing short stop.

As Tony was signing the final approval for the magazine, Jeannie, his children's assistant came into the office.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stark, I am coming up to inform you that your children have finished their classes for the day and have now started on a bout of competition."

"What sort of competition?" Tony asked cautiously.

"I believe it was a race around the grounds on their roller blades, sir. They did not divulge the entire course to me."

"Who was winning?" Tony inquired with a small smirk.

"James was at the moment but only by a hair. Emma was keeping right up with him."

Then a crash and a few screams echoed through the building.

"What in hell was that?!" Tony roared.

"I'll find out." Pepper stated as she urged Tony to sit back down before leaving the office with Jeannie.

A few minutes later, Pepper reappeared at the door with James and Emma, both barefoot and carrying the roller blades. "They have something to say." Pepper said sternly as she nudged them forward into their father's office.

"Well? What was the crash?"

"A maintenance worked didn't know we were coming around the corner of the building and he sort of let the cart fly into a wall because he was startled." James started.

"We did give him fair warning though. He just didn't move fast enough." Emma offered up.

"What have I told you about racing?" Tony stated as he stared down both children.

"No racing in the buildings." Emma repeated. "But we weren't in the building; we were in the parking lot."

Tony had to admit that they had got him there. They hadn't directly disobeyed him. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Will do." Both children said with a mock salute to their father.

"Daddy, did our magazine come out yet?" Emma asked eagerly.

"The final draft goes back today for print." Pepper told them.

"Totally sweet." James chimed in.

"When it comes out, they are so going on our MySpace pages." Emma said. "Our friends have like school pictures on theirs and we'll have _PEOPLE._"

"Remember what we told you about those." Pepper warned.

"Yeah we know – no personal stuff and all that jazz." James deadpanned.

"Why don't you two head on home? You both have competitions this weekend." Pepper told them in a tone she used that meant there was no negotiation.

Not an hour later, Stark Mansion was the site of an epic battle.

James came down from his bedroom with his ears covered at the music blasting through the house. "Can't you turn this 80's crap off?" he screamed at his sister.

"I like this stuff and it's the 90's too!" Emma called back from the pool deck where she was working on her tan. "You listen to some of this stuff too."

"Yeah, hard rock! Not this bubblegum pop!" James screamed back. "Jarvis! Turn this down!"

"Of course, Master James."

"It is not all bubblegum!" Emma shot back. "Jarvis crank it up!"

"Yes Miss Emma."

"It is all sickeningly sweet. This is making my ears bleed!"

"And yours doesn't? The damn walls shake in the house when yours is played."

"No more than Dad's does."

"Newsflash, half of mine are off of Dad's play lists."

"Dad does not have this soda pop crap on his play list. He has that stuff from all the clubs in the 80s."

"Guess what? This was club stuff back then."

"Fine, you want this battle…you're on." James spat. "Jarvis! How about slipping a little Black Sabbath into this and maybe a few classic rock bands as well?"

"Yes Master James."

The battle of the bands could easily be heard from the road as Tony and Pepper drove up the drive way. It was a mixture of Madonna and Boston.

"They are both grounded." Pepper swore under her breath as they opened the door and she silently gave Jarvis the kill signal.

The music went silent and both twins stopped dead in their tracks as they saw both parents in the door way.

"It was all her fault…" James started.

"Save it." Tony quickly cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. First thing, the only music in this house that is allowed to be played that loud is mine."

Tony couldn't continue. He was actually too angry to. He passed it off to Pepper and he headed for the garage, putting his own music on and went to work on anything down there just to let him calm down, probably changing the twins' privileges with Jarvis.

The twins knew very well that their father would usually back them up when they faced down their mother but as soon as he walked out of the room, they knew they were screwed. The cute and innocent routine did not work on their mother. Pepper was immune to it from working with Tony for so long.

"Mom, we didn't…" Emma tried to protest.

"That's enough." Pepper said, quickly quelling her. "Both of you get upstairs now and I don't want to see or hear either one of you until I say so. Am I clear?"

James and Emma nodded silently as they sullenly climbed the stairs, peeking down to the garage to see if their father was going to spring them this time. But there was nothing.

Dinner was a largely silent affair since Tony had still not come up from the garage and Pepper hadn't quite cooled off at the twins just yet. By the end of dinner, Pepper had released the twins from their prison but they hadn't been completely paroled yet. They had to settle for a two week grounding as well.

"Emma, take something down for your father to eat. He's probably hungry by now." Pepper said as she held out a plate for Emma.

Emma descended the stairs and was surprised that her father's music actually wasn't blasting for once. She punched in the entrance code and saw her father messing with something on the hot rod.

"Mom sent down dinner, Daddy." She called out, testing the waters to see if he was still mad.

"Thanks Emma. I'm starving. Put it on my desk." Tony said without even moving from the hot rod as he adjusted one of the valves on the engine.

"Are you still angry?" Emma asked hesitantly.

Tony finally turned around to see his daughter waiting by the door in case she needed to make a quick escape. "Of course not."

No sooner the words were out of his mouth; Emma had nearly tackled him with a hug.

"I am sure your mother read you both the riot act anyway so you don't need it from me again." Tony said as he hugged his daughter and inadvertently got grease all over her back. "Just don't do it again. I don't want the two of you blowing out my speakers."

"Jamie was just being his annoying self," Emma said absently as she let got of her father's neck and handed Tony the plate. "Mom gave me orders to make sure you ate."

"I thought you were the one on my side." Tony said with a laugh as he tucked into his dinner.

"I am. That is why I don't want you to starve."

The only problem with having such talented and busy kids was being in so many different places. Both James and Emma had State Competitions on the same weekend. Emma's dance team was competing in Los Angeles on Saturday. It was the last stop before the Nationals in Florida. James had the All-Star tournament on Sunday in Beverly Hills to decide who went to Sacramento to play for the State title.

It was early in the morning when the Starks arrived at the Los Angeles Convention Center and they slipped in unnoticed. Emma went backstage to start getting ready before most of her team showed up. Before stretching and getting her costumes together, Emma taped up both of her ankles and her right knee. Her competitive nature sometimes came with a price…pain and injuries. She always got to a competition early so no one would see her taping up. It would give away too much advantage.

Tony was thumbing through the program impatiently as the auditorium was filling up. "Why do we have do sit through all the others before Emma's?" he complained.

"Her team goes last because they are the reigning champions. You know they save the best for last." Pepper answered.

"But still? Can't we go get a few cheeseburgers and come back?" James asked.

"Does she stay for every inning of your games? Knock it off." Pepper scolded her son.

"At least we don't need to worry about the vultures here. They never release the lists of names to the press." Tony stated.

Four hours later and at least one team from every city in California, Nevada, and Arizona had gone, Pepper finally gave Tony a nudge to wake up and pay attention because it was Emma's team.

The stage went black and the overture for The Phantom of the Opera started and thirty black cloaked figures appeared on the stage and flowed into a seamless, horrifically beautiful, and technically advanced routine. The cloaks were not shed until the music morphed into another song from the same play, the title track, where Emma was finally spotted dead center.

At the end of the routine, the loud applause was punctuated by high pitched whistles from the crowd. Emma couldn't see the crowd but she would know her father and brother blind.

It was another forty-five minutes before the judges came to a decision and started calling out trophies. Third place went by. Second place went by. There were five teams left who had not been called. One would be first and the other four would come one step short of the prize.

"The team who acquired the most points and therefore receives first place and the right to compete in Florida is the team from Malibu, California."

Emma nearly flew out of her seat with the rest of her team as they ran up on the stage. Tony could see from even where he was sitting that his daughter was favoring one ankle as she stood up there to get a trophy that was nearly as tall as she was.

Back in the limo later, after all her gear and the enormous trophy was stashed, Tony didn't say a word as he took the ice from the bar and wrapped it up in a towel and set it on her right ankle.

Sunday morning, the kids switched and James took the field with the rest of his team for the one game playoff with Beverly Hills to see who was going to the state finals. From the beginning, Malibu dominated and part of it was attributed to some great plays by their star short stop.

Top of the seventh inning, James was walking up to the plate and he caught a few signals out of the corner of his eye from the other team. The pitcher hurled in a wicked fast curve ball that hit James square in the back as he moved to try to avoid it. He didn't scream. He just picked his bat back up, stared down the pitcher with a cold glare daring him to do that again. The pitcher threw the curve ball again but this time there was a different crack as the ball flew over the left field fence bringing the score to 7-3 in favor of Malibu.

Top of the ninth with two outs, James came up again with the score still unchanged. There was one man on first and a new pitcher who got to face James' iron determination.

Strike one.

Strike two.

Crack.

The ball flew up the right field line and James was off. He was already rounding second by the time the right fielder realized where the ball had gone. He was heading for third when he suddenly put his hand up to his heart, gasped for air and then fell to the dirt just short of the bag.


	22. Chapter 22

The silence that separated the waiting room from the emergency room was like being in a vacuum. You only heard your own heart beating and the occasional paging. No one talks to you for an obscenely long time and then it can never be good when you are in the emergency room in the first place.

The only things that were actually keeping Tony is his seat instead of barking at some nurse to find out information was Pepper, who was laying against his shoulder and holding on to him arm and trying to be strong as tears burned in her eyes, and Emma, who had her head in his lap while tears ran down her face. Tony had his head leaned against Pepper's while he stroked Emma's hair. Tears were burning his eyes as well but he was refusing to give into them.

Two hours had gone by since the ambulance had taken James away. He was ghostly pale and looked as if he were inches from death. The sound of hearing Emma scream when she saw him still echoed in Tony's ears and brought tears to his eyes. When a child buries a parent too soon, it feels like you get abandoned in some way. There is a hole in your heart that just doesn't go away if a parent is taken too soon. Tony knew that pain well. The pain is a thousand times worse when a parent has to bury a child. It is against the natural law and Tony did not want to go down that road.

A solemn faced doctor soon passed through the doors that separated the emergency room from the waiting room and turned towards Tony and Pepper but did not speak at first.

Pepper sat up and felt her stomach go into her throat. What was this doctor waiting for? Was he just looking for the right words to say that James was dead?

"Mr. Stark, Mrs. Stark…I need you to come with me to discuss a few things."

Tony swallowed hard as he helped Emma and Pepper up, taking both of their hands as they went to follow the doctor.

"Your daughter can not come."

"I am not leaving my daughter alone here." Tony said firmly. "Either she comes with us or you tell me where she can go where she will not be alone."

"Can I wait with my brother?" Emma asked quietly.

The doctor was itching to say no but reluctantly told her what room James was in. Once Emma was out of sight, he took Tony and Pepper down to his office.

"What is wrong with our son?" Tony asked as soon as he was in the room, not even letting the doctor sit first.

"Please have a seat." The doctor said as he took out the folder on James. "Your son is stable right now but some immediate action needs to be taken."

"Immediate action for what? What is wrong?" Pepper asked.

"We have discovered that your son has a heart arrhythmia, apparently it has existed since birth. It needs to be corrected or else your son will have a very limited time."

Tony was stunned by this. "You're telling me that James has had a heart defect since birth and no one picked up on it?"

"From the exams we took, it appears to only have started to affect anything with the onset of puberty. As his body grew and hormones started playing a bigger part, it caused his incident today."

"You said his time was limited. How limited?" Pepper asked cautiously.

"If he is not treated, the chances are very good that he may not see his next birthday."

Hearing this almost made Pepper sick to her stomach.

"What are the options for treatment?" Tony insisted.

"The easiest and probably most efficient would be a pacemaker. It would be minimally invasive and it would regulate his heartbeat. There other prescription options but they are more prone to side effects and I would not recommend them for your son."

"How much would his life get affected by the pacemaker?" Tony asked. "This is not a sixty-five year old we're talking about. We are talking about an extremely active thirteen year old boy who has aspirations of going into space."

"Very minimally. He'll have to go a little easier on full contact sports but he should be able to function normally. As for the astronaut program, I believe he could still meet the physical requirements. He'll have to come in every year for a progress check to see how the device is working and recharging."

"You're going to jump start him like a car battery?" Tony inquired. "Isn't there a longer lasting power source that you can use?"

"This seems to be the most efficient for now."

Tony looked down at his chest and had an idea. It could work. He would have to make a few modifications but it had kept him alive for fifteen years so far, why not his son?

"No, that isn't the most efficient." Tony said as he gave a glance to Pepper and then back to the doctor. "Close the door."

The doctor gave Tony a quizzical look but closed the door as Tony took of the t-shirt he was wearing.

"This is a far better power source. If I can attach this to the pacemaker you want to put in my son, this will power it for well beyond his grandchildren's lifetimes."

"Mr. Stark…I have never done anything like that on a patient before. Where did you get that and who did it?"

"This was done in a cave in Afghanistan by me and a doctor from Kazakhstan." Tony explained as he unlocked it for a moment and pulled out the chest piece just enough for the doctor to see but did not attach it. "This is attached to an electromagnet which keeps shrapnel from going into my heart and killing me."

"What are you proposing?"

"I am proposing that I create something similar for my son. It will have the same basic principles but at the end I will hook the base plate to the power supply for the pacemaker."

The doctor seemed to actually be processing what Tony said as he pulled his shirt back on. "How quickly can you make that?"

"How quickly do I need to make it?" Tony countered.

"I would like to have it in your son by week's end."

Tony nodded and knew he would be pulling a few sleepless nights.

"Where is he? We want to see him." Pepper insisted.

"Cardiac Care Unit, room A."

Tony and Pepper beat the elevator up to the CCU and quickly found James' room. They walked in without preparing themselves first.

James was still very pale as he laid in bed, hooked up to IVs, machines that looked like they had enough power to light up the mansion. He opened his eyes, which had dark shadows under them, and waved when his parents walked in, trying to be brave even though tears were rolling down his cheeks. James was scared and he hated being scared.

"What's the verdict?" James rasped out.

"The verdict is that you have a heart arrhythmia and you'll need a pacemaker to correct it." Tony said, not even considering lying to his son right now. "I am going to make it one better though. They wanted to have to recharge you every year but I am going to give you a never ending power source."

James slowly pointed to the arc reactor in his father's chest and started to cry harder. "What are my restrictions?'

Pepper sat down on the bed and gathered James against her, rocking him gently as her son's eyes never left his father.

"Well you won't be a star quarterback and karate may have to be stopped but everything else will not change." Tony told him.

"What about going into space?" James bluntly asked.

"As long as you pass the physical requirements, they can not stop you." Tony reassured him. "I will have Rhodey sign off on you personally if I need to."

James nodded in understanding.

Tony looked to Pepper. "I don't want to have to go but I have work to do." He said as he hugged James and kissed Pepper good bye for now since he knew Pepper would not leave her baby. "Emma, come with me. I am going to need an assistant with small hands."

Emma wiped her tears away and hugged her brother before leaving with her father.

The second Tony stepped into the house; he started barking orders at Jarvis.

"There are only three people I will take phone calls from, Pepper, Rhodey or the hospital. All others go to voicemail. Got it?"

"Certainly sir. Will you be requiring anything else?"

"Music. Loud and continuous." Tony said as he and Emma went down to the garage with the small box Tony held under his arm.

"What do you need me to do, Daddy?" Emma asked as she sat on the couch and watched her father go into action.

"A few things. You are going to be my secretary at times, getting the phone when I can't. Getting things for me so Dummy and Butterfingers don't slip up and reaching into the tight places which are bound to come up which I can't reach."

Emma nodded in understanding as her father set out of his task.

For fours days straight, Tony neither stopped working, slept nor ate and Emma made sure he wasn't going to fall over by keeping the caffeine supply going. It was Thursday night when he finally finished and needed Emma's small hands to connect the plug on the inside to the base plate. It was only after he inspected his work to make sure everything was how he wanted it did he even allow himself to sleep for a few hours.

To say that Tony broke speed limit laws just past dawn of Friday morning would be an understatement. His Audi easily cracked 95 mph on his way back to the hospital. The first stop he made was to the doctor who was implanting it. Tony explained how everything worked and the doctor scheduled the surgery for that evening.

When the doctor came in to tell Pepper when the surgery would take place, James looked around for his father.

"Mom? Is Dad here?" he rasped out.

"He has to be." Pepper said as she peeked out the door and thought she saw Tony by the vending machines. "I'll get him." She told James as she reluctantly left her son's side.

Tony was downing his second energy drink to ward off the complete exhaustion he was fighting when Pepper tapped him on the shoulder.

"James is asking for you." Pepper told him as she could see the exhaustion written all over Tony's face.

Tony handed his drink to Pepper and walked into his son's room and pulled the chair up.

"You look like hell, Dad." James said with a hoarse laugh.

"Thank you. I have been busting my ass for four days for you." Tony said dryly. "But I got it."

James smiled weakly as he absently rubbed his chest where he had a feeling the arc reactor would go. "I'm scared Dad. What if it doesn't work?"

"I made it. I will work." Tony said confidently. "We're fighters. We don't give up that easily. To prove how much confidence I have in you and what I made, I have a surprise for you." He said as he handed his son a folded up piece of drafting paper.

James opened the paper and saw a mock-up of the Mark III suit except in blue and black. "Are you serious about this?"

Tony nodded. "Once you have reached your full height, I'll make you one. I'll even make it compatible for space flight. I had to have Jarvis draw it though because after four days without sleep, my vision was getting a little blurry."

"So what should my name be, Dad?" James said with his first true smile in days. "If I was Iron Man as well, it would be confusing and Uncle Rhodey is War Machine. How about Black Prince or Iron Knight?"

"We'll get to names later. What are you doing? Trying to push me out of the spotlight?" Tony joked.

"Well…you know…you are not as young as you used to be and an infusion of new blood to the operation could be just the ticket…"

"Knock it off, Jamie." Tony stated with a smirk. "You get out of here and I will prove to you that I still keep up with you on your best day. Old? Not a chance."

By the time evening came around and everyone was just waiting for the anesthetic to kick in, Emma stayed in the room with her brother. She took out her mp3 player and each had one of the earphones as he drifted into unconsciousness. They were both quietly singing each song until James dropped out.

During the two and a half hour operation, Tony was running on a severe caffeine high thanks to all the energy drinks and paced constantly in the waiting room impatiently while Pepper and Emma curled up on the of the couches.

When the doctor came out this time, he had a smile on his face.

"James came through brilliantly." The doctor said happily. "And I must commend you, Mr. Stark. I have never seen such technology before but it is truly state of the art. I would not be surprised if this becomes the norm."

"Remind me to get Research and Development on it," Tony in a tone that showed that he was not amused. "When can we see him?"

"He's in recovery right now. You may go immediately. He'll be released tomorrow."

As soon as they heard what they wanted to hear, there was no stopping them.


	23. Chapter 23

After all the excitement with James, Tony and Pepper agreed that they deserved a second honeymoon of sorts to relax and they would finally take Rhodey up on his offer of watching the twins.

James and Emma were sent on their own vacation to Casa Rhodes with strict instructions to behave. If they deviated at all from these instructions, Rhodey had the right to put them through his version of basic training. According to the intimidated young pilots under the command of Colonel James Rhodes, his version of basic was as unpleasant as a cold shower with steel wool.

After the twins were taken care of, Tony and Pepper boarded the private jet on their way to the Bahamas. It was odd that they had not been there since the corporate vacation for the fiftieth anniversary of Stark Industries. They even managed to get a room at the Atlantis again, the Bridge Suite which goes for 25,000 dollars a night.

The limo drove to the hotel from the airport and the hotel was big enough back a decade ago and now it had tripled in size.

"I guess business has been good." Tony said as he sipped at the bottle of water he had in his hand.

"I think it helps when people like you pay twenty-five grand a night for a room." Pepper said with a small laugh as she rested on Tony's shoulder as they drove up to the door of the hotel.

A bell hop was quick to greet them and take care of the luggage, especially since Tony tipped well. Tipping well also got them through check-in faster. Within five minutes, they were being given the keys to their suite and escorted up to the famous Bridge Suite.

The ten-room suite is decorated in red, black and gold, appropriate for Iron Man, and comes with its own butler, though he was no Jarvis, bar lounge and entertainment center as well as 12-foot ceilings. The master bedroom has a sitting area, his-and-hers closets, and hand-painted linens. The bathrooms have chaise lounges, marble baths, and dolphin fixtures. There was even a private kitchen with a separate door so the staff never bothered you.

As soon as the bell hop was gone with a 200 dollar tip, Tony locked the door and had a devilish grin on his face as he looked at Pepper.

"Tony? Should I even ask?" Pepper said as she jokingly backed up, right into the bedroom.

"This is our second honeymoon so we have to break the bed in." he said with a smirk as he scooped her up right into the bed.

The first few days of the vacation followed the same pattern – waking up with amazing sex since it works better than coffee, hit the beach and the pool, come back to the room in late afternoon for a shower, quickie and a nap, and go to dinner and nightly entertainment, falling asleep after making passionate love.

By the time the fourth day of the vacation, Tony started itching for some competition and he discovered the beach volleyball court. He stepped right up there with guys ten or more years younger than he was and held his own very well, even besting some of the young ones. Pepper got to enjoy the show thoroughly as she watched Tony dominate, just like he did on that trip more than a decade earlier.

That night came a little joint competition, the Newlywed – Not so newlywed game. This version took couples who had been married various lengths of time and put them head to head. Tony had to volunteer since he was confident that he and Pepper could easily win.

"Alright, let's introduce our couples here," the host started out as he moved towards the newlyweds. "Give us your names, where you are from and how long you have been married and/or together. Couple number one?"

"We are Steve and Courtney from New York and we've been married since Saturday."

"Couple number 2?"

"Tony and Pepper from California and we've been married for fifteen years." Pepper said, knowing Tony's penchant for remembering dates.

"Couple number 3?"

"We are Bill and Ellen from New Jersey and we've been married twenty-seven years."

"And finally couple number 4?"

"We are Dorothy and Ed and we have been married for fifty-two years."

"Alright gentlemen, head off into our isolating booth known as our bar while we question the ladies." The host said as all the men were taken out. "Ladies, time for some fun. First question, what is your husband's ex-girlfriend's name?"

"Dana," number one responded.

"He actually didn't have an ex-girlfriend before me. He had a lot of casual sex. His little black book was three inches thick." Pepper said with a laugh which shocked the host a bit.

"Felice," number three responded.

"Ethel," number four finally said.

"Question number two. Where was your first kiss?"

"On the lips?" number one questioned.

"Not on the body. Where did it happen?" the host corrected.

"My mother's living room." Number one answered.

"Well, it came close on the roof of the Disney Concert hall but in reality it happened in his garage." Pepper said.

"At the prom." Number three said.

"On my father's porch." Number four said.

"Question number three. What is the strangest or most embarrassing thing you have seen your husband do naked?"

"His impression of Tom Cruise in Risky Business." Number one said.

Pepper had to laugh at this question. What hadn't she seen Tony do? "In bed with twins which then proceeded to beat him up."

"Watering the back yard with his little best friend." Number three said, trying to find a nice way of saying peeing on the house.

"Fishing for dinner." Number four said.

"And number four. Where is the strangest place you've made whoopee?"

"Back of a bus." Number one said.

"In his hot rod." Pepper said, remembering the ache in her back she had afterwards.

"His mother's basement." Number three said.

"In a rowboat." Number four said.

"Alright ladies, let's bring your husband's back in and see how they do." The host said as all the men came back in with drinks. Tony of course had a scotch on the rocks.

"Gentlemen, you now have to guess what your wife said as the answer to the following questions. First question, what is your husband's ex-girlfriend's name?"

"Dana." Number one said.

"I didn't have one. I had a lot of one night stands." Tony stated.

"Felice."

"Ethel."

"Question number two. Where was your first kiss?"

Number one hesitated. "I think at the prom."

Tony thought about it. "It was almost the Fireman's benefit but it actually happened in my garage."

"At the prom."

"Her father's porch."

"Question number three. What is the strangest or most embarrassing thing you have seen your husband do naked?"

"Try to be Tom Cruise."

Tony's stomach sank. He knew what Pepper said. "In bed with the Good and Evil twins who then kicked my ass."

"Mow the lawn?"

"Fishing."

"And number four. Where is the strangest place you've made whoopee?"

The men seemed to remember this one.

"Back of a bus." Number one said.

Tony had a smirk on his face. "In my hot rod."

"My mother's basement." Number three said.

"In a rowboat." Number four said.

"Well, so far, teams two and four are tied with perfect scores. So now it is time for the ladies to leave and we interrogate the gentlemen."

The women went out to the bar and the host turned on the guys.

"Question number one – who said I love you first?"

"She did." Number one said.

"She did…in a round about way." Tony said.

"I did." Number three said.

"She did." Number four said.

"Number two – when was the last time you gave your wife flowers?"

"When I proposed." Number one said.

Tony had to think about this. "I don't do flowers that much. I do jewelry."

"Valentine's day." Number three said.

"Her birthday." Number four said.

"Question three – which of your wife's relatives would NOT want to be stuck on a desert island with?"

"Her mother." One quickly answered.

"No one. There really isn't anyone else." Tony answered honestly.

"Her sister."

"Her mother."

"Question four – what were you doing last night – snoring or scoring?"

"Scoring."

"Scoring definitely." Tony said proudly.

"Snoring."

"Snoring."

"Let's bring the ladies back in."

All the women walked back in and sat in front of their husbands.

"Ladies, number one - who said I love you first?"

"I did."

"I think I did." Pepper said as she had to think about it.

"He did."

"He did."

"Number two – when was the last time you got flowers?"

"When he proposed."

"Tony doesn't really do flowers. He does diamonds."

"My birthday?"

"Valentine's day?"

"Question three – which of your relatives would he NOT want to be stuck on a desert island with?"

"My mother."

"There isn't anyone."

"My mother."

"My sister."

"Question four – what were you doing last night – snoring or scoring?"

"Scoring."

"Scoring." Pepper admitted.

"Snoring."

"Snoring."

"Well everyone, we have a clear winner – Tony and Pepper with a perfect score. How long have you two been together?"

"Probably double as long as we've been married." Tony said as they got their small prizes.

The rest of the vacation was filled with all the touristy things that one can do in the Bahamas. They swam with dolphins, went snorkeling, took a tour of the city of Nassau and went shopping as well as going back to the routine as much as possible.

By the time they were flying home, Tony and Pepper were suffering from post vacation let down when you have to return to reality. It was a happy return but a return none the less.

They dropped off their luggage at the mansion before going to pick up James and Emma.

When they got to Rhodey's house, something was not right. His truck was in the driveway but the house looked empty. As Tony and Pepper got closer, they saw that the door was open and then entire house had been ransacked. Fear ran cold through their veins as they searched for Rhodey and the twins.

As Tony went to check upstairs, Pepper found a DVD case sitting on the couch with their names on it.

"Tony! I found something."

Tony ran down the stairs and took the DVD from Pepper and put it in Rhodey's player.

"Welcome home Mr. Stark," a Russian sounding voice said. "It's time for a game. In the case we have included a series of clues you must solve. When you discover the answer, you will find your children and Colonel Rhodes. He was a great bonus. Until you solve this, they are our playthings."


	24. Chapter 24

Some where deep inside an abandoned factory in Serbia, three captives were being held under extreme guard. Rhodey, James and Emma were each tied to a chair and each one had at least two Obshchina or Chechen mafia guards watching over them. Rhodey had four since having a USAF Colonel was a prime catch.

Rhodey had been trying to keep track of the days since they were taken but it was not easy inside the factory. He had figured it had been about four days since they were snatched but he wasn't entirely sure. Many of the windows were blacked out and he was often kept in an inside room. Rhodey now had a much greater understanding of what Tony had gone through in that cave.

So if he was correct about the four days, Tony and Pepper would have returned from the Bahamas two days ago. It would take Tony less than a day to figure out the clues most likely and then Iron Man would have been breaking sound barriers to get here. Rhodey had to admit that he would be deeply relieved to see Tony show up in his favorite toy but not in the fact that he was the one who needed rescuing this time.

Rhodey did hope it had only been four days and not longer because this place was hell on earth. Their hosts were offshoots of the Russian Mob and liked getting physical. Rhodey would antagonize them so that they would take the knocks out on him and not the kids but they gave James his fair share as well, giving the boy a black eye and a split lip to say the least. Emma had managed to avoid their wrath but Rhodey had a very sick feeling what may happen to her if Tony didn't show up soon enough.

Rhodey was also starting to figure out the patterns of their captors. For the most part, they were left alone during the day. Emma was even released from her bonds occasionally since they had no fear of a thirteen year old girl. It was at night when the fun began…water torture, beatings, electric pulses, games of chicken with knifes and Russian roulette.

Emma took extreme advantage of the times that she was released from being tied up. When their captors were not looking, she started exploring the factory where they were being held. It was somewhat of a lucky charm when she discovered that it had a similar layout to her father's factory at home. She had also discovered a few cars in a basement garage and a stock piling of weapons, mostly Russian made. She figured that some of these could be useful if they needed to make an escape.

Night had fallen on the fifth day and their 'hosts' did not make their regular appearances. Rhodey quickly put on his guard and started assessing things.

"Rhodey, is something going on?" James asked cautiously as he started to watch where Rhodey's eyes were going.

"I think so but I am not sure what." Rhodey whispered. "Keep your voices down and your ears open."

James and Emma quickly shut up and then the sound of heavy footsteps was heard on the roof.

"Could that be Dad?" Emma whispered.

Rhodey hushed her again as he was trying to listen. The sound was definitely heavy enough to be Iron Man but there was no guarantee. "Do you two have a way of signaling your father?"

James shook his head no but Emma's eyes lit up.

"We do." She said as she slipped her ropes and went over to her brother and started lifting up his shirt.

"Emma, what are you doing to me?" James asked as she pulled the shirt over his head.

"When Dad built your reactor, he put something like a homing device on it just in case." Emma explained.

"So you're saying that Dad has been tracking me? That's somewhat disconcerting." James commented as he looked down at his sister going for his arc reactor.

"No. It has to be manually activated." Emma said as she turned the arc reactor counterclockwise to unlock it. "Once it is turned on, it will send a direct signal to Jarvis and he will give the location to Dad within inches of where you actually are." She added as she eased the reactor out and flipped a tiny switch on the back and then placed it back in her brother's chest and fixed his shirt so no one could find out.

The steps on the roof seemed to get closer, like they were inside the factory now. The steps were soon followed by small explosions that were strong enough to make some of the building shake.

"That has to be him. No one else would set off explosives like that inside a building." Rhodey whispered as he kept an eye on the door that their captors usually entered from. "And also no one but your father would attract so much attention when he is trying to break someone out."

"He likes things that go boom." James said with the first laugh he had let out in days. "Big ones."

"Yes, but now is not the time." Rhodey countered as he heard the steps on the floor above them.

All three heard the steps right over their heads and all looked at each other with the same worried look? Was Iron Man going to come through the floor?

They did not have to wait long for their answer. Within seconds, the floor boards started to crack and gave way with a cloud of dust and smoke. When it cleared, Iron Man knelt in the middle of the floor.

"Nice timing, man. I would take style points off the entrance though." Rhodey said dryly.

"It's a turn of events that I am saving your tail this time," Tony joked as he broke the ropes that had Rhodey tied to the chair. "But if someone had brought the present I made him, this would not have been necessary."

"If we were not taken by gunpoint, I might have had time to go into War Machine mode but I was more concerned about your children." Rhodey countered as Tony undid James' ropes and then Emma.

James and Emma quickly hugged their father in joy but it just wasn't the same when he was in his armor.

"So, what have we got here to play with?" Tony asked. "Because now we have to get creative. I can not get all four of us out in one shot."

Rhodey pointed to Emma. "She's the one with the lay of the land. They didn't think she was too much of a threat."

"How wrong they were." Emma said confidently, sounding very much like her father.

"What have we got, princess?" Tony asked.

"There are a few cars in the other room and a stock piling of Russian made weapons." Emma stated. "Nothing high quality though."

The wheels in Tony's head were definitely spinning. "Show me what we have."

Emma went first into what looked like a garage. There were five cars there, typical passenger cars, nothing spectacular but seemed in working order. In the back, cartons were stacked six high of weaponry.

Tony pulled his helmet off so he could see better and then held out his arm to James. "Pull my gloves off, Jamie. I need my hands free here."

James dutifully did as his father asked as he followed him over to one of the cars.

"Tony, do you have a plan here or are you winging this?" Rhodey asked some what impatiently and ready to take charge.

"Yes I do. Keep your shirt on." Tony replied as he pulled the car door open. "You are taking this car and driving my children into Belgrade. From there, you can get another form of transportation to Naples, specifically the Naval Base there. My jet is waiting there. You will fly with my children back to California and I promise I will meet you there. I'll provide the distraction."

"You going to hot wire this thing so it moves or do I have to find keys?" Rhodey asked.

"Of course I am going to hot wire it." Tony spat out as he knelt down and tried to reach in and found that he was not going to fit unless he took off all his armor. "Jamie, you're going to have to do this." He said to his son as he started to put his gloves back on.

"Dad, I don't know how to hot wire a car." James protested.

"I'll talk you through it. You can disassemble my missiles and reassemble them as well as I can. You can do this." Tony stated as James slid under the dashboard.

Under Tony's direction, James quickly had the engine purring like a kitten. James and Emma quickly scrambled into the back seat.

"You make sure you come back. I do not want to have to tell Pepper I had to leave you here and you don't come home."

"You won't need to." Tony said as he pulled his helmet back on. "I may even beat you all back."

"I'll hold you to that." Rhodey said as he slid into the driver's seat and hit the gas.

As he was driving away to Belgrade, a huge explosion went off in the rearview mirror in the factory that held them. He kept glancing up to see if he saw Tony lifting up out of there but nothing ever appeared.

Two days later, the Stark private jet was landing at Edwards Air Force Base from Naples. Pepper stood anxiously with Happy Hogan, Tony's bodyguard and driver, awaiting her children, her husband and her husband's best friend. Her face lit up as James and Emma came running off the plane into her arms but it fell when she did not see Tony follow Rhodey.

"Where is he?" she asked nervously.

"He stayed behind to provide a distraction so we could escape. He promised me that he would meet us in California." Rhodey said as calmly as he could.

Pepper swallowed hard as she told the children to get in the car. "Were those his exact words?" she asked hesitantly. She new if Tony promised something, he would do his damnedest to keep it.

"Yes Pepper. He promised." Rhodey affirmed.

Hours went by and still there was no sign of Tony. Rhodey had gone back to the mansion with Pepper and the twins to keep her company while they waited. Tony should have left shortly after they did and he could go faster. He should have been here by now.

Pepper was giving Tony until dawn or else she was pulling out the big guns to find him, just like she did with Afghanistan.

Luckily, she did not have to pull any favors this time. Around two in the morning, a loud crash was heard coming from the garage. Rhodey and Pepper ran downstairs to see the robots already getting to work on Tony's rather limp body.

As one piece of armor was removed, Tony seemed to flop out of it like a wet noodle. He was bruised, bleeding from various cuts and his nose, exhausted, and unable to hold himself upright. Rhodey managed to catch him before he fell to the hard floor as the last piece of armor that held him was removed.

Rhodey looked over Tony quickly and asked Pepper to call the paramedics even though he knew Tony would fight them as soon as he was conscious.

"Is he alright?" Pepper asked quickly as she dialed 911.

"I think he will be but he needs to be looked over just in case." Rhodey said calmly as he propped Tony over his shoulder and took him upstairs.

In just two short hours, Pepper and Rhodey had managed to get Tony cleaned up, into bed and checked out by the paramedics. They were just going to insist that they take Tony to the hospital when he came to and fiercely protested it.

"Sir, we think your recovery would be quicker in the hospital."

"I strongly disagree." Tony ground out in a raspy voice. "I can rest up and relax far better here. If I need any sort of meds, just hook me up here. I am not going anywhere."

The paramedics looked at Pepper for some help but she backed off. She would much rather have Tony home as well where she could keep an eye on him. When the paramedic realized he had a losing battle, he found a prop rod and hooked up an IV with some diluted painkillers in it to take the edge off things.

"This can be replaced tomorrow with over the counter stuff like Tylenol or Advil. He's advised to stay in bed and only move when absolutely necessary. He should be back to normal in a week or so." He explained to Pepper before leaving as Tony was already dropping off to sleep.

Pepper thanked them and Rhodey showed them out as he was leaving. She stretched out on the bed next to Tony and quickly followed him into sleep.

The next morning, Pepper knew she would need to go into Stark Industries to gather all the forms that she needed Tony to sign and reschedule all of his appointments but she was very reluctant to leave him.

"Pepper, go. I will be fine. It's not like I am going anywhere." Tony called from his bed as Pepper scurried around, trying to get ready and working herself into a fit.

"I am just worried about leaving you alone."

"I won't be alone. James and Emma are here. I promise I will not get into any trouble. I can't get into any trouble. I can't move much at all."

"That is the point. I don't want you trying to do something you should not be doing, like going down to the garage to try to fix your armor."

"Pepper, I get exhausted walking to the bathroom. I couldn't work on my armor even if I tried."

Pepper felt a little better when she heard that. "If you need anything, just call one of the kids. I will get back as soon as I can." She said as she kissed him gently. "Try to sleep and make sure you eat today."

"I will try." Tony reassured her as he returned the kiss and settled back among the pillows, urging her to go.

Emma was relaxing in the living room after finishing her assignments for the day watching a movie when she saw James heading towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" she asked, stopping him.

"Over to my friend's house." James countered.

"Did you ask Mom before she left?"

James hesitated, knowing he was caught. "No."

"Then you have to ask Daddy or else you know you will be in deep."

"I don't want to have to bother Dad. He needs to rest."

"So instead, you want to make him angry by sneaking out? Good idea."

"He's probably sleeping right now. I would have to wake him." James was clearly trying to avoid this.

"Dad was awake last I checked."

"How long ago was that?"

"About an hour ago when he asked for something to drink." Emma stated.

"So he could be sleeping now…"

"Jarvis? What is Dad doing right now?" Emma interrupted her brother's show.

"He is watching TV in bed right now…a Yankee game to be exact."

Emma looked at her brother with a smug look. "There's your answer."

James knew he had lost and climbed the stairs and knocked on is parents' bedroom door. "Dad?"

"What is it, Jamie?" Tony asked warmly as he waved his son in.

"I was wondering if I could spend the night at my friend Nick's house." James asked hesitantly.

"Do Nick's parents know about this invasion?"

"Yes. He already asked."

"When will you be home tomorrow?"

"Late afternoon."

"Go ahead. Have fun." Tony said with a smile. "Just call if you are changing plans at all."

"Thanks Dad."

"Before you go, ask your sister to come up here." Tony said as his son was bolting out the door.

James flew down the stairs, screamed for Emma and then sped out the front door.

"Is there something you need, Daddy?" Emma asked sweetly as she came in the room.

"What are you doing down there all alone now?" Tony asked.

"Just watching a movie. Why?"

"I think I'll come down to join you."

Emma could not believe her ears. "Dad, you have to stay in bed to rest. I can come up here if you want me to."

"I can rest just as well on the couch as I can in bed." Tony said, trying to charm his daughter.

"Your bed is far bigger so you can stretch out and better for your bruised back." Emma said trying to win the battle she was obviously losing.

"Emma, I have to move sometimes or I get stiff. I am going to go from here to the couch and nothing more." Tony stated. "Now, are you going to help me or are you going to make me do this myself?"

Emma moved to the side of the bed to help Tony stand up and walk downstairs. "Mom is so going to yell at me." She stated as they slowly went downstairs.

"I'll take the heat since I talked you into it. She won't be yelling at you." Tony said as he lay down on the couch. "What on earth are you watching here?"

"Moulin Rouge. It's a musical." Emma said as she got her father a blanket and a few more pillows. "I never said it was your kind of movie."

"I never said I was against it but I pick the next one." Tony insisted.

"Only if we get to alternate." Emma added as she snuggled up on the couch next to her father to watch the movie.

It was dark out by the time Pepper returned home. She had more work at the office than even she had realized. She walked into a dimly lit house with the TV still on and Tony and Emma sound asleep on the couch.

"Jarvis? Where's James?" Pepper whispered.

"Mr. Stark gave him permission to stay over a friend's house a few hours ago."

"What is Mr. Stark doing out of bed?"

"He wished to come down stairs."

"He is not supposed to be overexerting himself. He was supposed to be resting."

"I assure you madam, he did not overexert himself. Miss Emma helped him down the stairs and he relaxed on the couch with her watching movies."

"Did they eat?"

"Miss Emma ordered a pizza for dinner and made Mr. Stark some hot chocolate before he fell asleep."

"Why didn't you turn off the TV when they fell asleep?"

"The last time I did, Mr. Stark got quite angry. He made me swear that I would not do it again." Jarvis replied.

"I give you permission to. If they wake up, please tell them I am home." Pepper said as she went up to bed.

"As you wish, madam." Jarvis replied as he turned out the lights.


	25. Chapter 25

PEOPLE – THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW – AMERICA'S BRIGHTEST ANNUAL EDITION

_**PEOPLE – THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW – AMERICA'S BRIGHTEST ANNUAL EDITION**_

_Five years ago, these two bright stars were introduced to the world and now at age eighteen, the Stark twins are making a name for themselves in the world._

_Emma Stark received her MBA from Harvard in International Business at seventeen and is now working for the International Affairs division of Stark Industries under her father. Even as a junior executive, she strikes fear in the hardened business men of Wall Street. Her passport has more stamps in it than a post office and she has already been around the world twice. At only eighteen, she has been named as one of the top forty under forty. Take away her six figure salary and she is not much different from other girls her age. She can be found tanning on the California beaches or shopping on Rodeo Drive. No boyfriends to speak of so eligible bachelors pay attention. "Trying to date me is like running a gauntlet at a UN summit," Emma says. "If I guy can get past the first step, me being the daughter of Iron Man, he has a fair shot. Most of them end up wetting themselves before they get that far."_

Under the article is a picture of Emma in her office at Stark Industries. A beautiful brunette with dark eyes and long legs propped up on her desk with three and a half inch stilettos on her feet. Her black pencil skirt goes to just about her knees as the deep purple blouse she is wearing has just enough buttons undone to create a stir but not be indecent and she has a set of keys spinning on her finger – the keys to the kingdom.

_Captain James Stark, USAF, received his Masters in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from MIT also at seventeen, like his famous father. If he had not joined the Air Force in preparation for entering the Astronaut program at NASA, he probably would have been playing professional baseball with the New York Yankees. When Stark enters NASA, he will be the youngest ever admitted. Dividing his time between California and Florida, there are rumors of girlfriends on both coasts but he will totally deny it saying he doesn't have time. When he is not flying fighter jets or in training, you can see James flying down the coasts on either his motorcycle or his Dodge Viper or on a baseball diamond some place. When he was asked where his goals stop, James replied, "I reach for the stars and I always have. Maybe when I can bring one back, I'll slow down."_

Under the article is the picture of James at Edwards Air Force base wearing a leather bomber jacket over his air force t-shirt and straddling his motorcycle. If someone looked quickly at the photo, they would have sworn up and down that it was Tony at eighteen and not James.

* * *

Deep in the depths of the Stark mansion, Tony was up to his elbows in metal and wires, the metal and wires that were to eventually turn into the Mark armor he had promised his son. The basic design had been saved to the servers already and now it needed to be tweaked. The propulsion system had to be amped up. The suit had to be airtight but still maneuverable in flight as well as resistant to the heat of reentry if necessary. The weapon systems had to be quicker to get off though more concealed.

Tony was working on the ignition system of the boots, trying to increase output without increasing mass, when Emma crept down into the garage. She slipped in silently and sat on the couch watching her father work. She had been there for more than ten minutes before Tony even noticed her. It probably would have been longer if she hadn't started coughing when a sip of water went down the wrong pipe.

Tony damn near fell off the chair he was sitting in when he heard Emma. "You could have told me you were here. I think you need to leave your heels on like your mother so I know you're coming."

"If you think I am staying in stilettos twenty-four seven you have another thing coming, Daddy." Emma spat. "At times, they are worse than point shoes. Flip flops are so much easier."

"Easier to give me a heart attack," Tony said with a laugh as he went back to work. "Something you need or are you just here to watch?"

Emma got up from the couch and walked over to the worktable, leaning down and resting on her elbows as she watched. "If Jamie gets the suit, what do I get?"

"What do you mean about what do you get?" Tony asked without looking up.

"When one kid gets something, the other deserves something as its equal or it's unfair." Emma stated.

"So what do you want that would be equal to this?" Tony asked, wondering if Emma already had something in mind.

Emma slipped a piece of paper across the table towards her father. It had one picture on it that she had printed off the internet. "That."

Tony picked up the sheet of paper and examined it. He definitely recognized the technology. "You want the OSCORP glider?" he asked.

"With a Stark twist." Emma added with a smile.

Tony nodded with understanding when she mentioned a Stark twist. He looked over the picture again. "I can do this. I'll have to get the original designs from OSCORP but that shouldn't be a problem. I'll buy them if necessary and I know they won't turn that down." He said aloud but it was more to himself but then he looked up at Emma. "This thing could tear you to ribbons. How are you going to protect yourself?'

"I guess I would need some sort of armor then. It would need to be flexible though."

"Kevlar would be the easiest to make a flexible armor out of but it would not be completely invulnerable. You will need a few other things as well. Have your mother place a call to what is left of OSCORP and have them get back to me. As soon as that happens and I finish Jamie's before he heads to Florida on a more permanent basis, I'll build your glider." Tony stated as he gave Emma a hug before she headed back upstairs.

Tony threw back two more energy drinks before delving back into the armor he was making for his son full force. He had gone without sleep enough before, what was different now?

Two weeks later, just before Tony put all the final specs into Jarvis for final assembly, he emailed his son in Florida.

**From: IronDevil44**

**To: BlackPrince327**

**Subject: **_**Colors?**_

_**It's almost done. Got a color scheme in mind?**_

_**Dad**_

The response back was almost instantaneous. The boy spent more time on the computer than Tony did.

**To: BlackPrince327**

**From: IronDevil44**

**RE: **_**colors?**_

_**Totally. I have had these in mind for a while. Black and Indigo Blue – like my Viper. Can't wait for my test flight.**_

_**Jamie**_

Tony plugged the final specs into Jarvis and let his A.I finish the final touches while he crashed on the couch for a long deserved rest.

* * *

As soon as James read the email, he packed his things quickly, checked that he had all necessary supplies for a cross country trip – gas, snacks, caffeine, music, sunglasses, threw the bag in the back of his Dodge Viper and hit the gas.

He loved driving through the South since the speed limits were always higher than in the north with the more open spaces. James was easily doing eighty or better through Florida and Mississippi. He had to actually do only sixty-five through Louisiana thanks to the unfortunate speeding ticket from a cop who only looked too pleased to give it to an eighteen year old with a California license and a Dodge Viper. Once he hit Texas, it was full blast. With the bass pumping from his stereo and hit sunglasses blocking the sharp glare from the Southern sun, James hit the gas and he was flying through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, even cracking 100 on occasion but mainly sticking to the eighties. James was determined to make it to California in three days or less. He was driving twelve to fourteen hours at a time but any more than that he started falling asleep at the wheel. It was late on the third day, around seven in the evening when he saw the sign welcoming him to Malibu. He had been driving for thirteen hours and really wanted a real dinner for once and a nap but all of that would have to wait until he got to try out his suit.

James walked into a quiet and empty house and got a little nervous. He pulled out his 9mm sidearm, standard issue for military officers, just in case. "Jarvis? Where the hell is everyone?"

"Mrs. Stark and Miss Emma have not yet returned from work and Mr. Stark is…"

"Jamie! What took you so long?" Tony called out as he ascended from the garage.

Startled, James spun around with the gun pointed right at the voice he heard.

"Put that away. I have had bullets fly at my head too many times already." Tony scolded his son.

"Sorry Dad," James said as he put his gun away. "I didn't hear you come up. Jarvis was just about to tell me where you were."

"What took you so long? I expected you here yesterday with the way you drive." Tony asked.

"A nice little note from an officer of the law in Louisiana," James said with a laugh as he pulled out the ticket.

"Didn't I tell you not to get nailed like that?" Tony said as he looked at the ticket. "It's only fifteen over the limit. The cop couldn't let you off with a damn warning."

"Not when you have a California license and a Viper in the deep South. I was lucky he didn't try to put me in jail." James countered. "Now, where is my suit?"

"You're getting demanding now aren't you?" Tony sighed as he walked back down to the garage with James.

"Comes with being in charge." James called from behind his father. "You should remember that."

"I was always demanding." Tony laughed as he punched in a few commands on the computer. The floor split and up raised an Iron Man suit in blue and black.

"Now, that is what I am talking about." James said appreciatively as he examined it. "Can I fly it now?"

Tony nodded. "As soon as you're ready."

James bolted to get changed. He came back a few minutes later in the neoprene under suit that Tony had designed.

"This thing feels like a wet suit." James commented.

"It's lighter than a wet suit but trust me, you'll appreciate it as insulation." Tony said. "Step up in the center there and Jarvis will do the rest."

James stepped up as the adrenaline already started coursing through his body.

"Hit him, Jarvis."

"As you wish sir." The robots went into work suiting James up. Within minutes, James Stark became what he called the Iron Knight.

"Time to see how this baby flies." James said as he snapped the helmet down and powered up, soaring out of the garage and up into the night sky. He tested acceleration, maneuverability and every feature he could. "Dad, this rocks even more than the time I took yours out for a spin." James called out as he rocketed out even faster.

"You did what?!" Tony ground out, a little surprised.

"Nothing Dad."

"How many times, James?"

"It was nothing, Dad. Slip of the tongue."

"How many times?"

"Seriously…"

"James Anthony Stark…"

"Okay…maybe five…no…seven…it was definitely less than ten."

Tony couldn't believe he was hearing this. "When the hell did you do this?" he ground out as he gave Jarvis the signal to suit him up.

"Two years ago. You and Mom were in Hawaii if I remember right."

"You are going to pay for that one, kid." Tony said as he shot up from the garage.

James turned his head to see his father quickly catching up to him. "I see what this is, Dad. A little threatened are we?"

"You forget, Jamie. I can deactivate you with one command." Tony said as he caught up to his son and was now off his right side. "You want to rethink what you just said?"

"I said we should bring Uncle Rhodey along for this as well." James smartly corrected, not exactly liking the idea of falling thousands of feet without stopping.

"I think that is a wise idea." Tony said as he asked Jarvis to call Rhodey.

Rhodey cautiously picked up his cell phone when he heard Tony's ring tone. What did he get into now?

"How's it going Tony?"

"Up for a little joy ride?"

"What sort of joy ride?"

"One of your subordinates here wants to test out his new toy against War Machine."

"Tony…you didn't…" Rhodey paused for a second to pull on his mantle of authority. "Captain Stark?"

"Yes sir?" James answered dutifully.

"Am I correct to assume that you want to challenge War Machine?"

"Yes sir, General Rhodes. The Iron Knight is out to play and what better test than to put it against the best – Iron Man and War Machine."

"You do realize that I am off duty, right Jamie?" Rhodey said, giving James the silent cue that he can drop the military formalities.

"Yes Rhodey but the Stark boys want to play and we always need supervision." James said.

"You know Pepper put you in charge of keeping us out of trouble." Tony chimed in.

"Yes I know. It gives her less of a coronary and adds it on to me." Rhodey sighed. "How long do I have?"

"We'll be passing back over your house in ten. We expect you up here, sour patch." Tony teased.

"Just for that, I am helping your son to kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try since I am essentially a god when it comes to these suits."

"You have five minutes Tony and I am coming to get you." Rhodey said before he hung up.

"Smooth move Dad. My money is unfortunately on Uncle Rhodey kicking your tail to San Francisco and back."

"That sounds like a challenge to me." Tony laughed. "Quickest up and down the coast, did you hear me Rhodey?"

A silver flash soon joined up making the duo a trio. "I heard you. Up and down the coast. First one back to Stark mansion from the south wins."

"Shall we make it more interesting?" James interjected.

"He is most definitely your kid." Rhodey said dryly. "How much, Jamie?"

"I believe Dad told me the standard for you two was fifty bucks. How about that plus the loser has to acquire dinner?"

"I'll go for that." Tony said. "You're not betting with my money right?"

"No Dad. I am using my paycheck, not my allowance."

"Terms are agreed upon, gentlemen. See you at the mansion." Rhodey said as he took off.

"That's not fair." James cried out as he turned on the gas and quickly caught up.

"I think I may have to slow the both of you down." Tony spat as he joined up again with the trio.

The three titans maintained a pretty even match until the final miles and landing. James touched down in the garage first with Tony and Rhodey landing at the same time just seconds after. James took off his helmet and had a big smile on his face as he held out his hand. "I believe I am owed one Ben Franklin." He said as he heard a small crash come from upstairs. "Jarvis, is the house under attack?"

"No, Master James. That would be Miss Emma returning home from a bad day." Jarvis replied.

"Dad, is she always like this?"

Tony nodded and cringed as he heard another bang. The first crash was probably her bag being thrown. The bang sounded like her bedroom door. "Yes, especially since some halfwit in Human Resources hired a no-brained Yalie to work under her. That is what she calls him." Tony explained. "Apparently, someone over looked that he did not like working under a woman, especially one who was younger than him. He tried to hit on Emma once to show how much he though of her and she showed him what she thought of him."

"What did she do?" Rhodey cautiously asked.

"Let's just say he was signing soprano and pissing blood for about a week." Tony said as all three men cringed. "His letter of dismissal is sitting on my desk, ready to be submitted if he tries anything that stupid again. My guess is that he has."

Tony quickly shut up as he saw Emma running down to the garage in jeans and a black t-shirt with her leather jacket on and her helmet in her hand.

Emma took one look at her father, brother and 'uncle' and rolled her eyes as she pulled her super sport racing bike, an amethyst colored Honda, out of the line of cars. She walked it to the ramp leading out of the garage before putting her helmet on.

"Let's see if you three can keep up." Emma challenged as she flipped the visor down on her helmet and took off.

"Sounds like a challenge to me," James said as he slammed his helmet down and followed after his sister.

"And it will take both of us to keep both of them out of trouble," Tony added. "Especially when Emma goes off."

"You mean she's like you." Rhodey said as he slammed his helmet back on.

"More than you know…" Tony added before taking off with Rhodey right behind him.


	26. Chapter 26

It was a chilly October day on the morning of the Maria Stark Foundation Masquerade Ball, the biggest fund raising night of the year for the foundation. This had been planned for months and Pepper was running around making sure every detail was perfect. She had been organizing this since she became Tony's assistant and by now, it was nearly second nature for her to plan it without any help. It was the one day out of the year that even she did not go into the office and organized everything from home.

James was up early, like his mother, except far more relaxed. He was stretched out on the couch in a hooded MIT sweatshirt and pajama pants watching ESPN and munching on frosted mini-wheats. "Mom, you'll need to relax a bit or else you won't make it tonight."

"And you have a doctor's appointment to get to." Pepper added in. "You are not missing this one."

James groaned. "I have already been cleared by the chief physicians at both Edwards and Kennedy, why do I have to go to my cardiologist as well?"

"For my benefit," Pepper told him. "Now, go get showered and dressed and be ready in thirty minutes.

James rolled off the couch and trudged upstairs, mumbling something about this being a waste of time.

As James went up, Emma was coming down in a Harvard sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. She had a small laugh at her brother's expense, having just been whipped into action by their mother as she headed down to the garage.

* * *

After the initial preliminary tests, James and Pepper sat in the examining room waiting for the doctor with James getting angrier by the second. He hated this doctor and he had good reason.

"Good morning Mrs. Stark, James," the doctor said pleasantly as he entered the room reading James' medical files. "You still astound me every year, young man. For a boy who should have been dead at thirteen, you make leaps and bounds every year that many others with your condition could never hope to." He said as he started his examination.

"If I astound you so much, don't remind me that I should be dead." James snapped, earning him a dark look from his mother.

"Do you ever get winded at all or feel chest pains during activities?"

"What sort of activities?"

"Walking, light jogging, stairs?"

"Doc, I am an astronaut candidate and I play baseball nearly every day. The only time I even get the slightest bit winded as you put it is after a ten mile run with the rest of my squad and then it is just like everyone else." James ground out.

The doctor looked at James in astonishment and then turned to Pepper. "Is he telling the truth?"

"Very much so. He doesn't lie about that or else the Air Force would have bounced him." Pepper replied. "You can check his last stress test results if you need more proof."

"Why is this even necessary? The chief physicians at Edwards and Kennedy already cleared me and put me through a harder battery of tests." James protested.

"Because those chief physicians also wanted my signature," the doctor said as he made a few notes before listening to his heart and the pacemaker. "It seems that everything is in working order and the pacemaker seems to be running well. My letter of clearance will be sent in at once. I'll be seeing you again in six months."

"Thank you, doctor." Pepper said as the man was leaving before turning to James. "Stop antagonizing him. We're lucky he has kept quiet this long."

"Mom, the people who need to know about me already do. That doctor is constantly star struck by Dad and needs to get his head out of his ass and stop reminding me that I should be six feet under." James said angrily as he put his shirt back on, hiding the arc reactor under the prints on his t-shirt. "Why don't you say something when he says that? Is that the reason why you don't let Dad bring me here?"

"Yes that's one of the reasons; because your father would have hauled off and knocked the doctor to the floor by now and then I would have a public relations nightmare to deal with again. Just like the whole 'I am Iron Man' incident." Pepper explained.

"Well, next time he says I should not be alive, either you tell him off or I will and I may very well use Dad's method." James said as he pulled his sweatshirt back on and started for the car.

* * *

While Pepper and James were out of the house, Tony was finishing the last touches of Emma's glider as she watched eagerly. It hadn't been painted yet but it was fully functional.

The glider had taken him longer than he had anticipated it would. Tony had acquired both of the original plans from OSCORP, the wide bi-winged glider and its more streamlined single piece successor. Tony even managed to score a prototype of the single piece glider and started hacking it from there. First thing he did was change the power source to one that never had to be recharged. The miniaturizing of the arc reactor was the best idea Tony had ever had. Then he updated the stabilizers in it and boosted the output of the thruster engines. After the basics had been taken care of, then it came time for the toys.

The glider was nearly as heavily armed as the Iron Man suit but all in smaller and lighter quantities. It had the capacity for several types of small explosives which were originally concussive, smoke, gas and incendiary bombs. Tony tweaked those to more updated technologies. The concussive ones were reequipped with his pulse technology. The smoke bombs were made far more destructive, even though Tony hesitated a bit when he did these. He reluctantly made them timer bombs with the double chambered explosion that made him Iron Man. The chemical composition of the gas bombs was also changed. He made the formula knock the person out for a good eight hours at least. The incendiary ones Tony did very little to. They made a big enough boom already.

After the glider was done, Tony needed to create armor for Emma or else she would be torn to shreds. The base material was the nearly impenetrable Kevlar that Stark Industries had designed so many years earlier. The gloves had a pulse generator which took their power from the generator in the board as well as a remote of sorts to call the glider built into them. The boots were equipped with sensors that helped them to stay on the board without falling. The last thing Tony did was to take a pair of black sunglasses and replace the lenses with a similar composition to his windows so they would have the ability to see what Jarvis was providing her as well as night vision and infrared capabilities.

Emma was thoroughly impressed. She hadn't expected nearly this much but she knew how protective her father was of her. She now understood why James was so eager to try his. "Dad, when do I get to try it out?"

"You can test it right now, in here; see what we have to change." Tony said as he lowered the board to the floor.

Emma got up off the couch and stepped on to the board that was hovering a few inches above the floor on its own power. "How do I power it up and make it fly?"

"It will work sort of like a skateboard or a surfboard. Give a push off the floor and use your feet to adjust for turning," Tony explained as he got his other robots ready. "Alright, Butterfingers is on camera one and Dummy is again trusted with fire safety. You douse her and she isn't on fire, I will dismantle you without a second thought."

Emma went to the middle of the floor and pushed off the ground. The board lurched up quickly and dumped Emma hard to the floor.

"Emma? Are you alright?" Tony said as he rushed to her side, quickly warding off the overzealous fire extinguisher.

"I'm fine," Emma ground out as she pushed herself up. "Again." She said as she stood and called the glider back. She stood up on it and pushed off and again fell hard to the floor, giving Tony another heart attack.

"Maybe you should take a break?" Tony suggested.

"No, I am doing this again." Emma said defiantly as she set the glider in the middle of the room. She stepped back to examine it and to figure out where she went wrong. As she stepped further back, Emma had an idea…a running start.

Tony stepped back when he figured out what Emma was about to try even though he did not want to see her fall again.

Emma backed up as far as the ramp and then ran at her full speed and jumped onto the glider and she was soon soaring around the garage. She tilted her feet from side to side and back and forth to test turning and climbing and of course acceleration. Emma sped up the ramp with a scream of joy. "I bet Harry Osborn never did anything like that!" she cried out as her heel hit a small button behind her right foot. Out of nowhere popped one of the bombs that it was equipped with. "I got to remember that button," she thought as she flew down. "This thing is totally wicked." She said to her father.

"Yes it is and now, I need to tell you what it can do." Tony said as he pulled up his designs on his computer and explained all that he had done to it. After his somewhat brief summary of a half an hour, he got to the more cosmetic issues. "You got a color scheme in mind or do I get to pick?"

"Sorry Dad but I have one in mind," Emma replied. "The glider itself and any armor that I have, amethyst purple and those tricky little bombs, dark jewel tones – sapphire, emerald, ruby and amethyst or onyx."

Tony laughed a little bit as he plugged the colors into the computer for Jarvis to play with. "I think I have given you too much stuff from Cartier."

"But I like all that sparkly stuff, Daddy. I always have."

* * *

As evening fell and all the party plans fell into place, all four Starks headed off in the limo to the Maria Stark Foundation masquerade ball. As they pulled up, it was always arranged that all of them would not enter at the same time. James was the only one to get out of the limo at the main entrance while Tony, Pepper and Emma were coming in at another place.

James started to walk up the steps, blending into the crowd of all the costumed revelers. He tilted his black fedora a little more over his face as he slipped past. How many people would even notice? His slick black pinstriped suit with a black shirt and white tie made the perfect gangster and the gun hidden under his jacket completed it. As the guests arrived, James mingled with the crowd and worked a little on his gangster character.

Most of the guests had arrived by eight in the evening and Pepper had planned it that Tony would make is entrance about quarter after.

James had positioned himself by the bar and was casually flipping a silver dollar through his fingers, pretending like he owned the room and surveying his territory.

At just after quarter past eight, Tony walked in, flanked on each side by Pepper and Emma. Tony was a little sharper dressed than James but still similar as a gangster. He stood out from his son with the white shirt and a black and red tie along with the black pin stripe suit. He had his black fedora tilted just a bit as he immediately owned the room. Pepper and Emma were his Gatsby girls. Pepper was on his right and dressed in a black satin dress with a sparkling overlay with a ribbon around the bottom to emphasize the dropped waist style of the twenties and thirties. A long pearl necklace and black cloche hat, with satin ribbon and rosebud hid a bit of the curls she had put in her hair but made her look stunning all the way down to her black Lucille heels. Emma was on the left, similar to her mother except in burgundy. On her head was a gold beaded headband which complimented the gold choker on her neck. Both Pepper and Emma played up how important Tony was as he entered, a theatrical bit that Emma came up with that her father had to play along with.

Just as Tony passed the bar, James went into action. "This is my show. Find another place to flaunt yourself." James said as he pulled out the silver plated 9mm out of his jacket.

Tony smoothly eased Pepper and Emma back as he faced down his son. "Boy, you are barking up the wrong tree here."

"How about we decide like men who stays and who goes? Two bangs, my bullet hitting you and you hitting the floor."

Tony smoothly pulled out his own 9mm and checked to make sure it was loaded. "Well, if you want it like that," Tony said as he stepped back and the guests instantly made a path. "When you're dealing with the devil, praise the lord and pass the ammunition."

James squared off against Tony and aimed at a spot just above Tony's head as Tony did the same on the other end of the room. Both fired at the same time and a small firework display went off and the music started, cuing the DJ to take over.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our hosts for the evening, the conservators of the Maria Stark Foundation, Tony and Pepper Stark with their children James and Emma."

As the applause arose, the four of them took a quick bow and then motioned for the party to continue.

At a quarter to nine, a rather frazzled young man dressed as a gunslinger slipped into the ball room. He was tall and thin with light brown hair and blue eyes. He was supposed to be here at half past seven but he had gotten lost and then stuck in horrendous traffic. He went over to the bar and ordered himself a drink to calm down and pull himself together.

As he sipped his drink, one of the girls on the dance floor caught his eye. He could not take his eyes off of her long brown hair, burgundy dress and long legs. She was dancing with someone, a gangster. As soon as the gangster walked away for a moment, he walked over to her and made his move.

"I couldn't help but notice you are a great dancer. Mind if I join you?" he asked politely as he tipped his hat to her.

"Not at all," Emma said. "Do you have a name?"

"David. David Roosevelt."

"You can call me Emma.' Emma replied as she started to dance with her mystery cowboy.


	27. Chapter 27

As the work day was winding down, David Roosevelt flicked on the TV in his office to catch up on the evening news before he finished up for the day and headed home. As he was putting the last few briefs he had out back in his file cabinet, one of his coworkers and 'friends' entered his office.

"So tell me about the girl you met?"

"What girl? How do you know there is a girl?" David asked, trying to dodge the question.

"You have been walking around here like you are on cloud nine. There has to be a girl. Did you get lucky at that ball you went to the other night?"

"I didn't get lucky but yes, I did meet a girl. We're actually going out tomorrow night. That's why I want to have everything done."

"Does this mystery girl have a name?"

"Yes, Emma."

"How about a last name?"

"She didn't tell me her last name. She just gave me her cell phone number."

"Is she at least half pretty?"

"She's gorgeous." David exclaimed. "Long dark brown hair, deep dark eyes and legs that go up to her neck."

"Breaking news out of Los Angeles," a newscaster interrupted. A picture of Stark Industries appeared on the screen.

"Turn that up. I want to hear that." David stated as his friend turned up the TV.

"Stark Industries has been taken by militant operatives. The building was nearly empty except for two hostages." Pepper's and Emma's pictures from the last corporate annual report were flashed on the screen

"That's her. That's Emma."

"The two hostages have been identified as Virginia Stark, wife and personal assistant to CEO Tony Stark and Emma Stark, International Affairs assistant director and the daughter of the CEO."

The friend looked at David. "You are going out with Emma Stark and you did not realize it?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nice knowing you because to even think of dating her, you need to get past her father and brother," the friend explained. "I have heard that they tag team any guy she dates." The friend paused and looked at the news again. "But I think you may have to reschedule."

* * *

"Breaking news out of Los Angeles, Stark Industries has been taken by militant operatives. The building was nearly empty except for two hostages. The two hostages have been identified as Virginia Stark, wife and personal assistant to CEO Tony Stark and Emma Stark, International Affairs assistant director and the daughter of the CEO."

The second Stark Industries was on the screen, Tony nearly exploded as he grabbed his cell phone and ran down to the garage.

"Jarvis get everything ready now!" he screamed out as he hit the speed dial to security on his phone. "Someone over there better tell me what the hell is going on!" A pause. "Well, after I get MY company back, I am guaranteeing that your ass is fired." Tony hung up as the robots started suiting him up. "Jarvis, call Jamie."

The phone rang once. "Dad, I already saw it. I'm on my way."

"Where are you?"

"Breaking sound barriers over Vegas. I'll be there in a few ticks."

"Good. We'll sort this out fast enough." Tony added before disconnecting. "Jarvis call Rhodey now," he barked out as his helmet was going on.

"Rhodes here,"

"Time to cowboy up," Tony stated.

"Already started. I'll meet you at the factory." Rhodey reassured Tony before hanging up.

As soon as the troops were summoned, Tony was out to take back what was his.

* * *

The evening did not seem out of the ordinary when it started. Pepper and Emma were working together in Emma's office, settling the last of the day's affairs before calling it a night. They knew they were some of the only ones left in the building but that wasn't new. Pepper and Emma were often the last to leave, usually hours after Tony did. It wasn't until it was too late that either of them even noticed the heavy footsteps approaching the door.

Ten large and heavily armed men stormed into Emma's office, forced her against a wall and then grabbed Pepper and forced her out of the office to who knows where. After Pepper was dragged out, the remaining five threw Emma to the floor before hauling her back up and tossing her into her chair.

"Now, it's time for a game. Let's see who your father loves more – you or your mother because he won't have time to save you both. I hope you have your will up to date." One of the men spat in Emma's direction before backing out of her office and locking the door from the outside.

Once the door shut, Emma sprang up from her chair and tried to open it, finding herself a prisoner in her own office. A stupid move on her captors' part. Emma quickly changed out of the skirt she was wearing into the armor her father had designed and threw a black t-shirt and jeans over it. She had to be ready for a fight if necessary.

What Emma did not know was where they had taken her mother. She was figuring that her mother was as far away as possible, which would have been either the hangar or one of the manufacturing buildings.

Emma knew that at least her father would be on his way there but she wondered who else. Did Jamie and Rhodey get the call as well? She put her Bluetooth in her ear and took a long shot.

"Jarvis? Dial whoever is closest…Dad, Jamie or Rhodey."

"Of course Miss Emma."

The touch tones went through and the pone began to ring.

"Emma? Are you alright?" James quickly rambled out.

"I am physically fine at the moment but I am a prisoner in my office."

"Dad and I are on our way and I think Dad called Rhodey as well. Can you give me a low down on the scenario we're facing?" James asked.

"Mom and I are being held captive at what I can guess is opposite ends of the grounds. They put us far apart because they hinted that Dad would not have enough time to save us both like there may be a bomb."

James processed this quickly. "Alright, I am coming after you. Dad can get Mom. Can you get out of there?"

"It might take some work but I can try."

"Can you get your glider?"

"It's outside in my car. One touch from the remote and I can summon it."

"Can you send any sort of distress signal to outside the plant?"

Emma thought about what she had access to that could not be traced. She was chancing it with the cell phone call. Then one thing struck her.

"Yes I can," she pronounced. "Our arc reactor has been providing most of the power to downtown Los Angeles for the last few years to take some stress off the power grid. If I power it down, the city will have a small blackout until the main grid comes back up. That will send notice to the city officials that we have a problem."

"Okay, here's the plan and I'll pass this on to Dad. Get out of your office and power down the reactor. Once the factory is dark, make your way up to the roof. I'll have your glider waiting."

"Keep out of sight, Jamie. They only know about Dad. Not you and Rhodey." Emma instructed him.

"I can go covert very easily. Now get cracking." James said as he disconnected the call from Emma and then contacted his father. "Dad? I have some info."

"Fire away. I am just outside the gate." Tony stated as he landed just inside the shadows.

"Emma said she and Mom are probably on opposite ends of the complex and there is potentially a bomb inside with a timer that is not long enough for you to get both of them. I told Emma I would go after her and we arranged a plan of sorts."

"What is this plan of yours?"

"Emma needs to break out of her office, power down the reactor to put the complex into darkness and then get to the roof. I can get it from there."

"Good idea. Rhodey, did you hear this?"

"See, military training does pay off, Tony." Rhodey chimed in. "I'll take point on the outside. They'll see me and think I am you. That will leave both of you free to get Pepper and Emma. Then we'll tackle the bomb."

"I'll get you for that later," Tony said dryly. "We'll go in once the building goes dark. Jarvis, give me a scan of the interior of the complex. Show me where Pepper is and where the bomb is."

"Of course sir." Jarvis automatically responded as images started flashing up on Tony's screens. "Mrs. Stark is in an interior room on the north end of the primary assembly line, third floor. The explosives are in the main building, sector sixteen. They have a timer set for two hours and falling."

"Damn it. I was hoping we would have had longer." Tony swore as he went to the north end of the complex. "Jamie, give Emma the cue to go and tell her to make it quick."

"Check Dad," James said as he took point on the roof of the main building. "Emma, time to slip the knots here. You have less than two hours."

"Great. Tell Dad I am sorry right now for any damage I may do."

Emma slipped on her sunglasses that were equipped with Jarvis and got to work. "Jarvis, when the lights go, give me night vision."

"Right away, Miss Emma."

Emma then looked around her office to see what she could use to break the door. Her door opened inwards so pushing it would be useless. She rummaged through the drawer of her desk and found a screwdriver. She could unscrew the hinges and pop the door off. Once the screws were off, the door came off easily but not quietly. Someone was bound to have heard the bang when the door fell so Emma had to move quickly. She stripped off the t-shirt and jeans and ran down to the first floor to where the reactor was.

The second arc reactor that powered all of Stark Industries and half of downtown Los Angeles was glowing like a beacon of hope and Emma was going to plunge everything into the hell of darkness. She flipped a few switches and pressed her thumbprint against the access panel to allow her to override the reactor. Once her identity was confirmed, she spun the dial backwards until everything went black. The reactor was still on but at less than one percent power – enough to trip the alarms in the city.

Once the buildings went dark, Tony went into the building and up to the third floor. He wasn't quiet about it and there was no way he could be. He had to find Pepper. Time was running out.

"Pepper? Where are you?" Tony cried out, hoping she would hear him.

"Something that looks like it should be a closet." Pepper cried back.

"I know exactly where then. Stand back from the door." Tony warned.

Pepper stepped back from the door and braced herself against the farthest wall. Only seconds after she had stepped back, the door was blown apart and behind it was Iron Man. "You had to break it, didn't you?"

"I like things that go boom." Tony laughed as he picked Pepper up. "Once we are outside, get in your car and drive as fast as you can out of here."

"Not without you." Pepper said sternly.

"I just want you safe. Please, get out of here for my sake."

"I want you safe. I want my husband in one piece."

Tony set Pepper down outside of the building. "I promise I will come back to you. Now, go, please." He pleaded with her.

Pepper did not like this but she reluctantly agreed since Tony promised and he never broke his promises to her. She went for her car and drove far enough off the grounds to be safe but close enough to get back if necessary.

Emma was certain her time was limited after her escape. She needed to get to the roof. As she started climbing the stairs, she heard heavy and fast footsteps behind her. She started running, ducking and dodging through different stair wells to try to lose them. "Jamie, I have company."

"Get to the roof. I have your glider. I will cover you."

Emma climbed the stairs as fast as she could and nearly broke the door when she forced it open on the roof.

James stayed hidden in the shadows just off the edge of the roof to keep an eye on things. He watched Emma burst through the door at a full out run with five guys chasing close on her heels. He rose up enough to get a targeting lock on them. "Emma, jump off the roof onto your glider as I fire."

Emma nodded and never let up her speed. She took a full on running leap off the roof and landed on her glider, quickly popping up one of her bombs to back up James.

James fired five shots just as Emma jumped, taking out her five attackers.

Emma spun around quick to try to get the other five only to see Rhodey flatten them just as quick as James did.

"Rhodey, take Emma to safety. Jamie and I need to take care of that bomb." Tony called out.

Emma was quickly going to protest but did not have the chance before Rhodey had taken her just beyond the gates.

"Where's the bomb, Dad?"

"Sector sixteen…main building," Tony responded as he landed. "They were planning on destroying Emma primarily."

James landed next to his father and both Stark men descended into the depths of the building where Obadiah's Iron Monger once laid slumbering in its assembly stage. In the center of the room was a very old Stark missile, probably from the 1970's, reconfigured with something that resembled one of Emma's bombs to blow in an hour.

"Dad, do you know how to disassemble this thing?"

"Yes, but I have never had to do it on a live weapon," Tony stated as he took his gloves off.

"That's reassuring." James said dryly.

"We'll have time for sarcasm later," Tony said as he examined the set up. It was impressive. The people who made it obviously knew what they were doing since they wired explosive charges to every point where Tony could possibly disassemble it. "We can't diffuse this. We need to get this out of here into an area where it can explode – a desert or something."

"I'll take it. I can get to Death Valley or Nevada real quick." James offered.

"No, go with Rhodey and you sister. I'll take it."

"Dad, you built my armor to withstand the stresses of going into space. Let me."

"And mine can withstand a plane hitting it. Go now." Tony said, leaving no room for argument as he picked up the device and flew off.

James walked out of the building and stood next to Rhodey and Emma, staring up at the sky.

"What did he just do?" Rhodey asked.

"Took it upon himself to save the world again." James said dryly.

No sooner he had finished his sentence, a loud explosion was heard and the shockwave rushed past them. In the aftermath, Iron Man was blown back into the Stark Industries complex like a busted rag doll, hitting the pavement hard and making a crater.

Rhodey, James and Emma ran over to Tony's broken body as Pepper sped back in. The arc reactor's light in Tony's chest was flickering and they had to act quickly.

"Get the chest armor off!" James screamed to Rhodey as both men pulled the armor off with all their might. "Emma, Dad ever teach you to piggyback a circuit?"

"Of course he did."

"Good, then link my reactor with Dad's or he will not live long enough to get home." James ordered.

Rhodey braced up Tony's body as Pepper watched in horror. This was like the night Obadiah was killed all over again. Emma unlatched her father's arc reactor and pulled a wire out from the back and reconnected it to her brother's, allowing the sharing of power between them.

"Mom! Emma! Go back to the house and tell Jarvis to get everything ready downstairs." James called out as Rhodey and he got Tony's unconscious body up between the two of them.

Pepper floored the gas to get back to the Malibu mansion while Emma soared above at top speed on her glider. James and Rhodey had to fly in sync with each other because neither could lift Tony on their own.

The life support systems in the garage were running at full power when James and Rhodey landed with Tony. They set him down on the reclining chair.

"Mom! I need your help." James said as he quickly started pulling his hands free.

"I am not sticking my hands in his chest again." Pepper protested as she was near panic.

"No, Emma and I can do that. Keep him awake. Give him something to focus on. I need him to talk me through this."

Pepper eased Tony's head up and forced him to look at her. He was fighting to stay awake and losing.

"Tony, listen to me. You can't leave me yet. You promised me." She kept telling him as tears were flooding her eyes.

James was forced to work right on top of his father since both reactors were linked. He had Emma hold Tony's up for him as he made the necessary repairs that would hold it until their father could fix it himself. He reattached the wires that popped and soldered the casing. As he did that, the blue glow began to get brighter and James felt that he could disconnect the life line.

Emma set the reactor back in Tony's chest and locked into place then looked up at the monitors. His heart rate was returning to normal as well as respiration and blood pressure. "Nice work, brother."

James let his body sag with relief. "He'll need to stay in bed after this one, no matter what he says."

Pepper watched as the deathly pale gray pallor that had taken hold of Tony's face retreated and he just looked as if he were sleeping. "He needs to be upstairs. I am not letting him sleep down here."

With a combination of the robots and every able hand, Tony, James and Rhodey were divested of their armor and the two men managed to carry Tony's limp and battered body upstairs and tuck him into bed.

As the sun rose the next morning, bodies had collapsed everywhere. Rhodey had claimed an oversized chair and more or less draped himself over it. James and Emma had collapsed on the couch. Pepper was the only one where she belonged, curled right up against Tony, protecting him from himself during the night as all the machines monitored every function.

The house slowly awoke and the process was sped up by large amounts of caffeine. James trudged upstairs when Jarvis told him that Tony had awoken.

"I was told that I owe you and Emma my life," Tony rasped out to his son who was leaning in the door frame.

"You would have done the same. I was not letting you die." James stated. "Now, you better stay the hell in that bed. If I see you out of there for any other reason than going to the bathroom, I am getting Rhodey and both of us will kick your ass until you remember what I just said."

"You wouldn't dare do that to me," Tony countered.

"Watch me, Dad." James said as he headed back downstairs.

"You have been hanging around Rhodey too much!" Tony called after him.

* * *

Later that evening, David Roosevelt was clearly already feeling the intimidation as he knocked at the door of the Stark mansion and waited to be allowed entrance. He was beginning to think he liked Emma more when he didn't know who she was related to.

"Sir? A Mr. David Roosevelt is here to pick up Miss Emma for their scheduled date." Jarvis told Tony.

"Not before I get through with him," Tony said as he got out of bed and threw on a t-shirt and jeans, to a disapproving look from Pepper.

"Be nice to him. Emma really likes this boy." Pepper warned Tony as she helped him up and downstairs.

"I am just making sure he is worthy of her." Tony said calmly. "Jamie, front and center. Time for boyfriend target practice!"

James popped out of his bedroom with a smirk. "How badly do you want to destroy this one?"

"To be determined." Tony said as he eased himself into the chair that Rhodey had slept in the night before. "We have to see how he holds up."

"Daddy, please be nice to him. He's a nice guy that does not need his entrails spread out across the Pacific Coast highway." Emma begged.

"That's for me to decide." Tony stated. "Let him in."

Emma went to open the door to let David in. She smiled when she saw him and then took a deep breath.

"Why didn't you tell me your name was Stark?" David asked with a warm smile.

"Because you would have run away right then if I did." Emma countered as she brought him into the room…lion's den. "May I introduce my family? My parents, Tony and Pepper Stark and my twin brother, James. This is David Roosevelt."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark." David said as he shook Tony's hand firmly.

"Have a seat, David. I have a few questions before you and Emma leave." Tony stated. "First, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-four, sir. I just finished law school and I have a clerkship in the county courts."

"You are aware that Emma is only eighteen, right?" James interjected.

"Yes I am and I respect that and her."

"Where did you go to school?" Tony asked.

"UCLA, sir. My family was a little upset that I did not follow tradition and go to Harvard but they appreciated all the money I saved them."

"Where do you plan on taking my daughter tonight?"

"Dinner, a movie and then to the Santa Monica Pier."

Tony paused and looked to Pepper who was giving him the look to tell him to shut up and then to James that didn't have any other questions. They all seemed to agree that David was not a bottom-dweller.

"Bring my daughter back in one piece at a decent hour or I won't be so civil."

"Of course, sir. We'll be back by midnight." David reassured Tony as he offered his hand to Emma.

Emma went over and gave Tony a quick kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry Dad. He's not replacing you." She whispered to him before taking David's hand and walking out the door.

Once they were in the car, David let out a long sig of relief. "What is with the Spanish Inquisition there?"

"Congratulations. You are the first guy to ever pass it." Emma said. "You must have made an impression on my dad."

"I hope so because I want a second date and not have to worry about dying." David said as he started the car and started driving to the restaurant.


	28. Chapter 28

Cocoa Beach, Florida was a party town built around NASA and Air Force flyboys looking for a good time in between accruing frequent flier miles. In short, a perfect place for James Stark to have fun in.

He had taken his motorcycle off of Kennedy and headed for one of the more popular watering holes on the coastline. He wasn't going for the booze, just the girls. As he sped down the highway, the neon lights of the Blue Iguana seemed to call out to him. Any body who would name their place after a desert lizard had to have a sense of humor.

James almost arrogantly strode into the bar, keeping his leather jacket zipped up as he approached the bar and ordered a coke. He started scanning the room for eligible sweeties when he caught a commotion at the far end of the bar around a bottle blonde.

"What's all the hype down there?" he asked another Air Force counterpart.

"It's a weekly ritual. Cindy there holds a contest among all the guys in the bar for her phone number. She chooses the competition once she feels she has enough guys drooling over her."

"Sounds like a waste of time for all those guys. Maybe I should put them out of their misery now and take her off the market." James said as he boldly walked over to the blonde with a wink back to his counterpart.

The blonde had her eye on James since he came in and hoped he would vie for the competition. "How ya doing flyboy?" she purred as he approached.

"I'm just fine, doll," James whispered smoothly. "Why are you wasting these guys' time when you know you're coming home with me?"

"You have to compete for my number just like all the rest, flyboy."

"The name's Jamie and I don't need to compete. I can get any girl in the room. What makes you so special that I am going to have to humiliate the rest of them?"

"Because I can do things that most girls wouldn't consider."

James thought about it and tossed a piece of paper with his first name into the hat she was holding. "So what's the field of battle?"

"Karaoke. Best man wins."

James shrugged and laughed as he hopped up onto one of the stools. "No contest. You'll be coming home with me tonight," he said with a smirk as the bartender sent his soda down to him as the first of the brave souls took the stage.

After twenty-four attempts of varying degrees of greatness and horror, James stepped up to the stage, showing not one bit of nervousness and every bit of arrogance he possessed. As the music started for "I am the one and only" by Chesney Hawkes, James' smooth tenor voice got more attention that if any top forty rock star had just done it. He stepped off the stage unfazed by the crowd's reaction as the applause erupted.

James was not three steps from the bar when his cell phone rang. "Stark here…yeah I got ya…I'll be there in fifteen."

The blonde was holding out her phone number for James as his phone rang and then she heard his last name and shock flooded her face.

"Sorry doll, I gotta go and save the world," James said slickly as he pushed her phone number back in her hand. "Save that for the runner up."

"You're James Stark?" she gasped. "What was this entire 'the name's Jamie' bit?"

"It's my name and I told you I could get any girl in the joint," James stated in a less playful tone as he was slipping into work mode. "And you are going to make me late." He finished before walking out of the bar and hopping on to his motorcycle to speed back to Kennedy.

James pulled up to the mission control center of Kennedy Space Center and parked his bike right out front. Without breaking his stride, he took off his leather jacket to reveal the black t-shirt underneath with the Stark Industries logo on it and pulled on his three ID badges – NASA, the Air Force, and Stark Industries.

"What have we got here?" he asked the flight director as he strode into the room.

"What we have is a systems failure up top and we need it fixed before lives are in danger," the director growled.

"Let me see what I can do. Three quarters of the bird is Stark tech. I know it very well," James said coolly as he took over someone's laptop to do some diagnostics.

James' fingers flew over the keys as he checked the systems in question. After an hour of looking through systems checks and coding, his face fell.

"What are we looking at here, Stark?"

"I can do very little from down here," James said in a sadly serious tone. "If you want these fixed now, you are going to have to send me up. I have to fix it up there."

"There is no transport vehicle ready to get you up to the space station. How are we supposed to do this?"

"You don't need a vehicle. I have my own way." James stated as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the flight director. "If for any reason you lose contact with me for more than an hour, call that number."

"What is this number to?"

"You'll know when you call it," James stated before excusing himself to put on his armor.

An hour later, James was approaching the launching pads in full Iron Knight gear. "Can you all hear me alright?" he asked as he did a radio check through Jarvis.

"Loud and clear Captain Stark. What's your call sign?"

"The Air Force called me the Black Prince or you can call me the Iron Knight."

"Black Prince, you are clear for liftoff."

James listened to the countdown and when it hit zero, he lifted off into the night sky. As he climbed and approached the atmosphere, he had always thought that his first space flight would have been in a rocket – not wearing one.

James had been in constant contact as he climbed to reach the damaged space vehicle attached to the International Space Station. He climbed inside and managed to repair what had been knocked out. He was resetting the booster controls when one suddenly went off and everything went black.

Mission Control had heard the blast and then tried to contact James, receiving only static. After an hour, someone handed the mission director the phone to make the call.

"Stark Industries…" a receptionist answered.

The flight director felt sick. "Anthony Stark, please."

"May I ask who is calling?"

"This is Kennedy Space Center mission control. I need to speak to Mr. Stark in regards to his son."

"I'll patch you right through."

The fear was nearly choking the flight director as he waited for the other line to pick up.

"Tony Stark…"

"Mr. Stark, I have some distressing news about your son."

"What happened?" Tony said quickly, nearly dropping the phone when he heard the tone of the other man's voice.

"He was sent up to the space station to do some necessary repairs and there was an explosion. We have lost contact with him, sir."

Tony swallowed hard. "I will be there in five hours." Then the phone went dead.

The minutes ticked by like someone was counting down to an execution. Fear and panic spread like wildfire through mission control when they saw the black limo drive up. The car was barely stopped when Tony stepped out and offered a hand to Pepper and Emma. As she cleared the car, Emma, dressed in an atypical t-shirt and jeans for work, slung a backpack over one shoulder as she followed behind her parents inside past all the security without a blink.

When Tony walked into the room, all the brains in the room nearly snapped to attention. He quickly found the flight director and ignored nearly everyone else as he and Pepper went to him, leaving Emma to get things set up.

"I want some damn answers and I want them now. What is going on with my son?" Tony growled.

"All we know is what I told you on the phone. Nothing has changed. He is still nonresponsive."

"That is a load of crap if I have ever heard one. Do I need to get a higher authority down here?" Tony roared.

"That's all I can tell you but you may need higher authority based on what I see your daughter setting up."

"Fine," Tony said as he pulled out his cell phone. "Rhodey? Feel like seeing some gators? Yeah, I need your help in Florida."

Not two hours later, one General James Rhodes was storming into Kennedy Space Center to join Tony, Pepper and Emma. He exchanged pleasantries and then locked a cold glare on the flight director. "Tell him what he wants to know," he ordered.

"What I have said is all I know," the director protested. "What is that girl doing?"

Those words hit a cord with Tony. "My daughter is setting that laptop up so I can hack into your system and get my son home." Then Tony turned to Rhodey. "I need your permission though."

"You got it," Rhodey said without a second thought and Tony took over the spot that Emma had. His fingers flew over the keys faster than James' had and some of the best minds in the country were awestruck as they watched. Within minutes, three windows were up – one with the specs on James' suit, his life functions and a control panel and tracking signal.

"What is all of that? What is that blinking blue dot?"

"That blinking blue dot is my son. It's the tracking device that was built into his suit."

"Why?" the director further inquired.

"All of the Mark suits have a tracking device in them," Pepper interjected. "Especially three of them in particular."

"Which three?"

"The three we want back most of all because they are all family." Pepper stated as she glanced to Rhodey first and then stayed on Tony.

Tony sighed as he looked at the screen. James was alive but nonresponsive meaning he was unconscious. Jarvis could only autopilot so long and that what was probably keeping him in one spot. "I'm going after him."

Pepper and Emma whipped their heads around at such a statement. "That's too risky. I am not letting you risk your life like that." Pepper stated.

"And I am not risking our son's. I am leaving in an hour," Tony said as he called for Rhodey to follow him to help him get into his armor.

As Tony was taken out to the launching area, Pepper went with him.

"Bring both of you back," Pepper whispered to him as she kissed his lips deeply.

"I will. This is just snatch and grab. You don't need to worry. I love you and I am not going anywhere yet." Tony reassured her as he ran his fingers through her hair, kissing Pepper one last time before taking off.

Once Pepper had come back inside, Emma flipped on the tracking device on Tony and activated the remote controls on James.

"I can get Jamie in via remote access close enough for Dad to get him. I just hope that Dad's electromagnet is strong enough to withstand reentry." Emma stated as she started typing in commands and moving her brother like he was a video game character.

With Jarvis' help from above, Emma maneuvered James to within the Earth's atmosphere and then she had to let go.

Within seconds, the red and blue dots merged together and were descending back down to Earth. As they got closer, Emma had a few tricks of her own. She patched her brother's mp3 player through the computer and then had Jarvis send it to him. If anything was going to bring him around, it was the soothing sounds of hard rock.

As Tony landed with James, he ripped his son's helmet off and was happily surprised that he saw his eyes open.

"Don't you dare scare the hell out of us like that again." Tony warned him as he pulled his son into a hug.

"Don't let the space program put our stuff with the cheap crap from competitors to save money," James said with a laugh. "And I have to tell Emma to stop messing with my music. She slipped some of that soda pop she likes in there."

"If that is all you two need to argue about, I think she could oblige you." Tony laughed. "We all had a lot more dire scenario in mind."


	29. Chapter 29

The sun was just rising in Los Angeles as the Stark Industries private jet was ready to take off for another excuse for a Caribbean vacation but something was holding them up. Stark Industries' seventy-fifth anniversary was coming up and Tony had decided to celebrate it in the same way he did the fiftieth - a corporate vacation to someplace in the Caribbean with the usual competition of New York and California. This time he had chosen Cancun, Mexico and he wanted to be on the way but no such luck. Tony did not get what the hold up was. Pepper was here and so was Rhodey. He was there and both twins were accounted for. What was the hold up?

Then Tony got his answer as he heard steps coming up the stairs on to the plane. He craned his neck from the couch he was laying on to see David Roosevelt coming on the plane, apologizing immensely for being late as he took a seat next to Emma and Jamie.

Tony got up from where he was laying and pulled Pepper to the back of the plane for a chat. "What is he doing here?" he whispered as he glanced over at David.

"I invited him." Pepper stated confidently.

"Why in hell would you do that?" Tony asked.

"Because he makes Emma happy and I know you would not want to impede your daughter's happiness." Pepper said as she threw down the trump card as the plane took off for the Yucatan Peninsula. She knew Tony would not deny something that made Emma happy.

"You play dirty, Pepper." Tony said sulking as he went back to his couch and tried to sleep through the flight.

Seven hours later, the plane touched down right along the other one from Los Angeles and the one from New York, allowing all of the Stark Industries employees to meet up at the baggage claim and let the competition begin.

David tried to stay out of everyone's way but he was a little distracted by Emma. He couldn't stop staring at her. He was used to seeing her at the height of fashion, even when she was casual, but today she was wearing one of her brother's baseball t-shirts knotted in the back, cut off jean shorts and flip flops and he was dumbstruck.

"Dude, pull your tongue back up or my father will cut it and something else off if he catches you ogling my sister," Jamie whispered to David as he slung his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Forgive me but your sister...my girlfriend...is a work of art and that deserves to be appreciated."

"My dad may have let you in the door but that does not mean you are off the hook yet with either one of us." Jamie warned. "Don't you dare hurt her or you deal with both of us."

"Yeah, I got the warning loud and clear." David deadpanned as he went to help Emma with her bags as a gentleman would.

Then a familiar and unwanted voice came above the crowd. "Well, if it isn't our famous boss. Ready to get your ass kicked again?"

Tony groaned as he turned towards the voice. "Wesley Bonaventure, you haven't learned have you. I ALWAYS kick your ass. You must really enjoy the taste of defeat because you swallow it so much when you go up against me."

"I have a score to settle with you that is twenty-five years in the making and I will win, Stark." Bonaventure spat.

"Keep dreaming because that is the only place you will ever beat me," Tony retaliated as they went through customs.

Jamie was following behind his parents and sister when he saw a gorgeous brunette drop her purse and spill everything. He gave his bag to Emma to watch for a second as he went over to help her out.

"Let me help you with that," he said with a genuine smile as he handed her wallet to her.

"I can get it myself, thank you." she snapped at him before shoving everything back in her purse and pushing past him, avoiding looking at him as much as possible.

Jamie watched the girl go by like he was struck by a thunderbolt. She was a total bitch to him but he saw something there that made him want her more.

Emma watched her brother go from playboy to idiot in three seconds and she had to laugh as she gave him his bag back. "You're setting your sights high on that one brother." she scoffed. "That girl wouldn't give you a drink if you were dying in the desert. She would let you die."

"Maybe on the surface but there is something there underneath and I am going to find out what that is." Jamie said confidently.

It was a little past one in the afternoon by the time everyone got to the hotel and checked in. The reception desk nearly had a heart attack when Tony slid his credit card over to pay for the charges on forty rooms, including a massive suite for him and Pepper and the twins as well as a suite for Rhodey as well. It was just after check in that people started to scatter a bit. Jamie and Emma quickly changed and dragged David down to the beach. Rhodey had gone to the pool to check out the swim up bar and the pool hotties and Tony couldn't care where most of the New Yorkers went. Tony took Pepper up to their suite and dead bolted the door. The beach could wait since Tony had other ideas on how to spend part of his vacation - tangled up in expensive sheets with his gorgeous wife.

The next morning on the beach the games began with beach volley ball. Bonaventure, in his usual boorish style, called the games open. Tony, Rhodey and Jamie quickly stepped up to the court and Emma followed suit.

"Sorry sweetie - this may be a little too rough for you." Bonaventure crooned at Emma, only pissing her off. "Let the men play and you can be the cheerleader."

Tony, Jamie and Rhodey heard this and were about to step in to defend Emma's honor until they heard her voice and then they stepped back.

"Too rough? Let the men play?" Emma threw back as she got in Bonaventure's face. "Then how can you play because you sure as hell aren't a man. Maybe a prissy little crying bitch but certainly not a man. I can't handle beach volleyball with this lot. There is a reason how I got my nickname and when we kick your sorry ass, you will owe the Tigress of Wall Street not only a profound apology here but I want it in front of the Board of directors so they can see what a scoundrel you really are."

Emma then turned around and stood beside her brother who slipped her a high five.

Tony had the biggest shiteater grin on his face as Emma told off Bonaventure. "You may want to be nicer to her or consider retiring before she gets my job or she will fire your ass without a second thought." Tony called over.

"Are we playing or what here?" Bonaventure called out, trying to brush off the tongue lashing he just got.

"We're just waiting for you now." Tony taunted.

New York served the ball which set off three rounds of the most aggressive volleyball anyone had every seen. By the end of it, both sides had sand burns, scrapes and bruises but California claimed the first title in the competition. For the moment, both sides went opposite directions. Tony, Rhodey and the twins made their way back up the beach to where Pepper and David were camped out after rinsing off the sand and blood.

Emma by far was the least injured despite how aggressive she played. She just had a small abrasion from the sand on her knees while her brother, father and 'uncle' had their arms and legs scraped up to hell and nice bruises and abrasions on their chests from the sand, at least Rhodey did.

"I am curious about something dealing with your father and brother." David whispered to Emma as the others were stretching out in the sun and catching a light afternoon snooze.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"Okay, from what I can tell, neither your father nor brother seems self-conscious about their appearance. In fact, they seem to relish the attention they get. So if they like the attention so much, why do they wear shirts on the beach?" David asked.

Emma was a bit surprised that David honestly did not know the truth and she now had to figure how much she was going to tell. "Well, my brother had heart surgery when we were thirteen and it left somewhat of an ugly scar that he doesn't like having to talk about if he doesn't have to. At home, he doesn't care but in public, it's easier to do that. My dad's is a little more complicated. He was taken hostage for three months about two years before we were born. He was injured by an explosive that sent shrapnel into his body and it left a lot of scars. Would you want to talk about that?" she stated.

"That's a fair enough explanation," David shrugged.

It was late afternoon when Bonaventure called Tony out again. This time it was the bar by the pool.

"Hey Stark! Ready for the real competition?" he called out as he spun a shot glass on his finger.

"To kick your ass again - absolutely." Tony replied as he was joined by the rest of his family at the bar. "There's just one small hitch - I quit drinking thirteen years ago."

Bonaventure looked dumbfounded for a second. Tony Stark quit drinking? "But I still want a Stark to go against. How about your son?"

"He's not old enough." Tony quickly countered as Jamie stepped forward when his name was called.

"Not at home he isn't but here he is." Bonaventure challenged. "How about it boy? You got the balls to drink me to the floor?"

"You don't have to do this." Tony whispered seriously to Jamie. "I don't give a shit at what he says."

Jamie eyed the challenge and then looked at his father. He knew perfectly well what his father was worried about. Stark men had a very bad track record when it came to alcohol. "I can handle it, Dad. I want to shut him up just as much as you do." he said as he flipped his baseball hat on backwards and straddled the chair facing Bonaventure.

Wesley smiled. "Since I issued the challenge, I'll let you pick the poison."

Jamie eyed the bar for a second. "Tequila...and not just some bottom of the drawer shit. I want the best...the most expensive in the place...the stuff that is kept under lock and key. If I have to get drunk, it might as well be the best stuff here. And since you are making me do this, you get to pay for it." he said, throwing it back to Bonaventure.

As soon as Tony heard what Jamie picked, he turned to Pepper and Emma. "You two might want to leave." he suggested.

"Tony, I have watched you do this before. This is not shocking to me." Pepper insisted.

"I knew what I was doing when I did it. You are not going to want to see Jamie drunk off his ass. Rhodey and I will take care of him. Please, don't stay here." Tony asked again.

Pepper understood what Tony was getting at and she, Emma and David reluctantly left the scene as they were setting up the shots.

Jamie watched them set up the twenty shot sets a piece and just before they finished, he got up and went to the bar. "Can I get a big glass of milk first?"

"Have you done this before?" Tony asked when he heard his son's request. Milk coated the stomach and made you only slightly more resistant to alcohol's effects. Tony knew it well.

"No, but I have friends who have," Jamie replied as he chugged down a shaker full of milk before sitting back down.

As the shot glasses were set before him and Bonaventure, Jamie lined them up methodically and got his game face on as he stared down the older man across from him. The signal to go was given and Jamie started throwing back the shots just as fast as Bonaventure did, saving one at the end which he drank without using his hands. As the shots were reloaded, Jamie kept the pace up that he had started on the first round while Bonaventure was slowing a bit but still going. By the time the third round was starting, Bonaventure's hands were shaking and Jamie was going on sheer determination alone. Anger was pushing him and Tony saw it in his son's face and that scared him. By shot number fifty, Wesley Bonaventure slid to the floor, passed out. The cheers erupted for Jamie, who grabbed onto his father's arm to get him out of the chair.

"I need to get out of here." Jamie forced out.

"How much warning do we have?" Rhodey asked as he helped Tony get Jamie out of the chair.

"How much time for what?" Jamie growled.

"Until you throw up from all of that." Rhodey stated. "I know your father was about thirty minutes at his worst."

"Get me upstairs and you won't need to worry." Jamie said as his words slurred.

Tony and Rhodey looked at each other as they practically carried Jamie back to the suite and parked him in one of the two bathrooms.

Jamie practically threw the two of them out as he readied himself for what he was about to do. Once he was alone, he kicked the door shut and shoved his finger down his throat to force him to throw up all the alcohol he had consumed. He had retched at least seven times before everything was out and he slumped against the porcelain, too exhausted to move.

Tony cringed as he heard his son forcing himself to throw up and swore up and down that Bonaventure would pay for this dearly. Once he heard Jamie stop vomiting, Tony and Rhodey went back in and brought Jamie to his bed so he could recover. One of them left the three aspirin and the orange juice, banana and vanilla ice cream smoothie by the bed.


	30. Chapter 30

The next morning, Jamie was up at 6:30AM running along the beach like he never missed a beat after winning the tequila drinking competition. Bonaventure strolled out around eleven looking like he got run over by a truck. Tony smirked when he saw Wesley and bided his time until the moment was right. Today was the pool games challenge, something California almost always won.

By the time the clock struck two, both coasts had their teams assembled. Tony had Rhodey, Jamie, Emma, Pepper and David among his crew while Bonaventure had a few of the young blood but most were approaching middle age quickly. The only chance he may have was the young brunette with him, the one Jamie was dishing at the airport.

Jamie looked across the pool and saw the brunette that had caught his attention two days earlier and now it was like a hit to the back of the head – she was a Stark Industries employee and a New York one to boot. Talk about bad karma. The whole Romeo and Juliet sort of thing here made Jamie want to try and win her even more. He put the girl out of his mind for the moment; there was bragging rights to win.

The contests started out with a movie trivia contest which Pepper and Emma cleaned up in. Then came Pictionary which for once Tony's drafting skills came to some use again. After that it was California four and New York zero. The third even was water polo, which California put up a good fight but New York edged them out by one. The last event by the pool was the six person relay. California jumped out to an early lead with Tony and Rhodey starting it off but New York caught up a bit in the middle when it was versus Pepper and David. California cinched victory with Emma and Jamie as the anchors, angering New York even further and then putting up another competition to try to gain some ground – a race along the beach.

After the pool relays, the strain of the competition was taking its toll on Tony and Jamie. They tried to hide it but Pepper could see it and she didn't want either one of them to push themselves any further. She nearly had them convinced until Wesley Bonaventure shot his mouth off again.

"Can't you just fire that animal?" Pepper asked Tony as she handed him a bottle of water and tried to make him rest before trying to kill himself again.

"If he keeps this up, I am going to." Tony ground out as he stretched out on the lounge chair for a few moments while the course was set up.

As Jamie was catching his breath from the relays, his eyes caught sight of the brunette again. He started watching her when some guy came up to her. He watched her push him away and he did not get the hint. He came one stronger and she pushed him off again and tried to walk away. When he tried to grab her for the third time, Jamie got up and ran over to intervene.

"She said back off. Take the hint." Jamie snapped as he stepped in between the guy and the brunette.

"Get the hell out of my way. You're interrupting."

"No, I'm not moving. She clearly told you to go away and I saw that from fifty yards away. Leave her alone." Jamie said forcefully as he shoved the guy back, which got the attention of his parents, Rhodey, David and Emma.

The guy shoved Jamie back and knocked him to the sand, which he scrambled up from quickly. "I saw something I like. What are you going to do about it?"

"If you don't leave her alone, I am going to kick your ass from here to New York and back. Your choice…walk away or crawl away."

The guy made a move to hit Jamie. Jamie quickly ducked and pulled the guy's arm behind his back and wrapped his other arm around his neck.

"You owe her an apology." Jamie growled as he forced the guy to apologize. Once the guy had babbled out an apology to the brunette, Jamie let him go. He looked at the brunette, who almost seemed in shock at what she saw. He nodded to her and then headed back up the beach to where everyone else was sitting.

"Where in hell did you learn that and why did you do that for that girl?" David asked.

"United States Air Force basic training and I did it because she looked like she needed help." Jamie answered, not giving the whole story about how he was interested in this girl.

No sooner everyone got comfortable, the race was called. Tony and Rhodey both knew that they could not beat Jamie in a foot race; in the air in suits of armor was a different story, so they waited this one out. David did not though. He and Jamie walked up to the start line and at the mark, they were off. Jamie got out to an early lead but David was keeping close behind for second. The rest were not even contenders. Jamie was pushing himself way too hard and he stumbled over the finish line, gasping for air and holding his chest.

David saw Jamie fall and called for Tony and Pepper as he tried to help. "What did you do man?"

"Nothing I can't bounce back from," Jamie said winded, the color gone from his face as Tony ran over and helped him up.

"No more Jamie," Tony told him in a hushed but serious tone. "I will not have you dying for a stupid game." He added as he helped Jamie back up to the suite to allow him to get the rest he needed to recover.

Bonaventure had a smile on his face when Tony took Jamie back up to the room. Pepper and Emma looked at him in disgust as they followed Tony. David did not even acknowledge the man. Rhodey stopped though and turned on Bonaventure.

"You really are a sick bastard and I have no sympathy for what Tony is going to end up doing to you." Rhodey ground out.

"And what may that be, Colonel?" Bonaventure sneered.

"You are going to get what's coming to you and you can't stop it." Rhodey said before walking away.

Hours later and after a long nap and dinner, Jamie felt up to going back out again. The pain in his chest had subsided for the most part and he was getting stir crazy trapped in the room. He, Emma and David decided to hit the dance club to give Tony and Pepper another excuse to dead bolt the door.

Jaguar, as the club was called, had a serious dance beat and electric vibe surging from it. Emma was in her element. As she came in on David's arm, most of the men in the room got whiplash as they gawked at her in a black halter top, jean skirt and three inch stilettos. David saw the reaction his girlfriend was getting and kept a tighter hold on her hand showing that she was his.

"I don't normally have to deal with such reactions," David said in her ear as they stepped on to the dance floor.

"Because if I dress like this with my dad around, I'll give him a heart attack when he tries to keep all the guys away from me." Emma explained as she saw Jamie go off on his own, probably to get as many girls as he could.

"I think I share your dad's opinion. I really like the view but not the competition." David said with a laugh as they started dancing.

"You don't have to worry about competition. You are my one and only and that's it."

Jamie found a spot along the wall to start scoping the area. Normally, there would already be at least two girls clamoring for his attention. Like his sister, perhaps worse, he could control a room with sex appeal. Once he gained control of a club, the dance floor was where he made his stand to put all other men out of competition. But this time, he didn't feel like divide and conquer.

Across the room and in the shadows, the brunette stood sipping a soda and watching Jamie from across the room. He had come to her aid twice and the first time she was rude to him and the second she never got a chance to give him a proper thank you. She figured she had better say something soon or things could get even uglier.

Jamie watched from the sidelines as Emma owned the floor on her own and he figured since she had David with her, he was not needed. He sighed and headed for the door, his chest tightening again as he walked outside.

The brunette saw Jamie leave and she quickly crossed the floor as to not miss her chance to at least thank him. She walked outside and saw Jamie doubled over and bracing himself against the wall in obvious pain.

"Let me help you," she exclaimed as she went to him and guided him to a nearby bench.

"I guess that's only fair since I have helped you twice," Jamie rasped out as he sat down and tried to breathe deeply to work through the pain.

"I never had a chance to thank you for this afternoon. I am used to guys trying to pick me up and he got a little too aggressive."

Jamie waved her off. "Don't worry about it." He said as he put a hand over his heart.

The brunette sat down beside him and took his free hand in hers. He was starting to worry her. "Can I get you something?"

Jamie shook his head. "Just let me sit for a minute…maybe some water." He said. "If things get worse, my sister and her boyfriend are inside. They can get my parents if necessary."

The brunette ran back inside and got a bottle of water from the bar which Jamie sipped at gratefully as things started to ease a bit.

"Thanks…I appreciate this," he said as he looked at her, noticing her blue eyes for the first time. "Perhaps we should have a formal intro before we meet up like this again?"

"I believe you're right. My name is Marina Sebastiano."

"Jamie Stark," he said as he offered his hand to her. When she took his, he kissed her knuckles instead of shaking it.

"I don't believe you. That name can get thrown around with big consequences." Marina said.

Jamie shrugged and pulled out his wallet and took out his driver's license, Air Force and NASA IDs and his employee badge for Stark Industries. All of them had JAMES ANTHONY STARK written clearly on them with his picture. "I don't like throwing my name around. I try not to unless I have to."

Marina looked at the Stark Industries ID and sighed deeply before pulling out her own. "I have never seen you there before."

"When I actually work there, I am based in California in Design and Development like my dad used to be but mostly I am NASA's liaison to Stark Industries. You have probably met my sister, Emma."

"Unless she's been in New York, probably not. I am Wesley Bonaventure's assistant…one of them." Marina admitted.

"Then you have met Emma since she likes to bust your boss' balls on a regular basis." Jamie said with a laugh as he tried to catch his breath.

"Are you okay? This is the second time today I have seen you look like you have chest pains."

Jamie nodded. "I will be but it never completely goes away. I was born with a heart defect and I pushed too hard today. I'll be fine. I always am."

Marina looked into Jamie's dark eyes and realized he wasn't playing her. All the stories she had heard about him all said that he was a bigger playboy than his father was. "You weren't trying to pick me up in the airport, were you?"

Jamie shook his head. "No, I was trying to help. If I wanted to pick you up for a quickie, I would have succeeded in one shot. I was interested in you and making me work for these few moments makes them all the more special, even if this is all I get."

Marina looked down and realized she was still holding his hand. "I think I could spare a few more." She said with a smile. "But I think you should be taking it easier."

"Are you suggesting that I go back to my room?"

"Yes, I think you need sleep."

"Join me?" Jamie asked with a smile.

"You have to work a lot more for that one, Stark."


	31. Chapter 31

In the final days of the corporate vacation, the competition was suspended due to the health risks of all the competitors. Aside from the bruises, scrapes, dents…it was getting too dangerous for Tony and Jamie. Three instances of chest pains were too much for Pepper to tolerate.

The warring factions had taken to marking out their own sides of the beach and not crossing each other whenever possible. There was only one defector – Marina Sebastiano. She was frequently not out of arm's length of Jamie, enjoying herself and relishing the smile she saw on Jamie's face.

There was something else that was usually not too far out of Jamie's reach – something alcoholic. Since the drinking contest, Jamie had seemed to be partaking from the open bar a little too often for Pepper's taste. She had tried to bring it up with him and Jamie just blew her off as over worrying. That's when she upped her ammunition.

"Tony, you need to talk to him about this before it gets crazy." Pepper whispered to Tony as he stretched out in the sun.

Tony glanced over at Jamie and saw a mojito in his hand, seeming like it was an extension of his own hand. A look he knew well and a look that struck ice through his veins. "How many has he had?"

"That is at least his third today." Pepper commented.

Tony nodded and heaved himself up from the sand. "I'll get him." He told Pepper before walking the few feet over to his son and Marina. "Jamie, I want to talk to you for a moment."

"Can't it wait, Dad? I'm kinda busy here." Jamie stated as he hinted towards Marina.

"No, it can't wait James." Tony stated as his tone darkened as he used his son's proper name and crooked his finger for Jamie to follow him.

Jamie caught his full name and stood up cautiously.

Tony pulled his son off to the side for the moment and spoke softly. "You really like this girl, don't you?"

"Very much so."

"How much do you want me to embarrass you in front of her?" Tony stated seriously.

Jamie looked at his father and in his horror saw that he was not joking. "Not at all, sir."

"Then shut your mouth now and come with me or I will show you hell's fury."

Jamie told Marina he would be right back and immediately shut his mouth as Tony grabbed his upper arm and more or less guided him back up to the suite. As they passed the bar, Tony slid the glass out of his son's hand and set it on the bar without even breaking his stride.

Once they had the privacy of the suite, Tony tossed Jamie down on the couch and told him to stay there.

"What is this all about, Dad?" Jamie snapped.

"What this is about is I am not about to let you fall into the same trap as the rest of the men in this family have." Tony said as he sat down in the chair across from his son.

Jamie looked puzzled at that statement.

"I will not let you become an alcoholic like I was and my father was." Tony stated in a plainer tone.

"Dad, it is just a few. I am not going to be an alcoholic. I can stop as soon as we get home."

"You know how many times I said that exact phrase? One too many and one time being drunk almost cost me everything I hold dear. I can see how much you care for Marina and I will not let you screw up like I did."

"What are you talking about?" Jamie asked.

Tony took a deep breath. "This goes back to a few months after Obadiah died. Your mother and I had only just started formally dating and I messed up big time…"

_When Pepper came back to the mansion after heading to Stark Industries for a few hours, she came back to a horrific sight…empty liquor bottles and a piece of legal pad paper on the table in front of the empty glass. Pepper picked up the piece of paper and read it out of curiosity and wished she hadn't afterwards. The paper was written in Obadiah's handwriting. Reading the words on the page had almost made her sick to her stomach. It was a eulogy…a eulogy written for Tony. It had been dated a few days before Tony was found in the desert. Just a few days more and Obadiah may have moved to declare Tony dead. _

_Pepper threw the offending piece of paper to the floor and looked back at the empty bottles on the table…Black and White, Jack Daniels, __Stolichnaya and Bacardi…he had cleaned out half of his liquor cabinet._

_"Jarvis? How full were these when Mr. Stark started?"_

_"They varied from half full to a quarter full. I believe the Black and White had the most."_

_Pepper eyed the bottles again and surmised that Tony had consumed an inhumanly large amount of alcohol. "How long did it take him to drink this?"_

_"He started when he found the letter which was half an hour after you left."_

_"Is Mr. Stark here?"_

_"No, he is not."_

_"Where is he?"_

_"He said he needed to clear his head. He took the suit out for a ride and he has been showboating a bit for the gawkers on the ground."_

_Pepper heard this and anger erupted up from her normally calm exterior. "Please let me know when he decides to return." She told Jarvis almost harshly as she retreated to her office to try to focus through what she was feeling._

_Hours later, a still very inebriated Iron Man came into the garage on autopilot. The armor was banged up, scratched, dented and smoking from various joints. Jarvis sent the robots to work as soon as Tony was on the platform. His armor was stripped from him as well as the bloodied under suit. Tony was conscious enough to pull on a pair of sweatpants before collapsing into a chair._

_"Jarvis? Tell Pepper I need her to patch me up."_

_Jarvis paused before answering. "Ms. Potts says to do it yourself."_

_"Excuse me?" Tony asked as his drunken brain tried to wrap around what he had heard._

_"Ms. Potts stated that she is busy and you are to patch yourself up."_

_Tony could still not believe this. He thought Jarvis had a few screws loose so he tried something a little more basic._

_"PEPPER! I NEED YOU!" he screamed up the stairs._

_A few moments later, Pepper was descending the stairs with a very cold look on her face. She crossed the room to where Tony was sitting and looking pathetically helpless. He smiled up at her through his drunken haze but Pepper did not say a word. Instead, with a cold and angry stare into his eyes, she reached back and slapped him hard across the face._

_Tony was shocked and his head actually rattled with how hard Pepper slapped him. "What the hell was that for?" he exclaimed._

_"How dare you even ask what that was for?" Pepper screamed as tears stung her eyes. "I told you before that I would not stay with you and watch you kill yourself. I love you – Anthony Stark – I put up with Iron Man. I understand why you do what you do as Iron Man but I don't have to agree with it. You go off in what is essentially a weapon that you wear roaring drunk and that is suicide. You may make the choice to risk your life but I do not. This is supposed to be a partnership. If you die, what I get in exchange?" she spat angrily as tears rolled down her cheeks. Before Tony could even offer a protest, Pepper turned and ran up the stairs and out of the mansion._

_Tony was stunned by the attack Pepper just landed on him. His brain was trying to process everything she had said until she ran out, and then his brain kicked into high gear and told his sorry ass to run after the best thing that ever came into his life._

_Tony nearly fell out of the chair as he scrambled to his feet. Being drunk and injured, running with great speed and coordination were not in the cards. He tripped over the stairs, slammed into the wall and staggered to the door just in time to see Pepper drive away. Tony screamed out her name at the top of his lungs but she was too far away. He felt his heart pound against his chest as it broke in half and tears flooded his eyes. Tony dragged his battered body back inside and fell on to his living room couch. Heart wrenching sobs wanted to rip from deep inside of him but he would not let them. His body was shaking with the tension of holding back the tears and the pain that was ripping through his body. Tony looked at the four empty bottles on the table with disgust. If this had been the old days, there would have been another empty or two joining them quickly since drinking until you passed out had a good way of dulling the pain. But not this time. Those bottles caused Pepper to run out of his house and possibly out of his life forever. Tony took the pain he was feeling, let it change to anger and then let the rage that came from it explode on those bottles, sending broken glass every where. When the explosion cooled, Tony lay down on the couch and let the pain take him into oblivion._

_When Tony awoke the next morning, he awoke to an empty house. Pepper had not come back. Tony felt empty without Pepper around. His body ached all over since he did not have her gentle hands to tend to his injuries. A heart attack would have felt better than having Pepper leave like that. He had to get her back. Tony did not feel whole without Pepper…not anymore._

_"Jarvis? Trace Pepper's cell phone. Tell me where she is." Tony commanded as he got cleaned up and started to formulate how he was going to win her back._

_"Ms. Potts is at Stark Industries, sir. She is working on her daily tasks, sir."_

_"Thanks Jarvis. If she looks like she is going to leave, don't let her." Tony stated as he finished getting dressed and grabbed his car keys and is wallet._

_"How do you propose I do that, sir?"_

_"Hack her computer or something. Just don't let her leave."_

_Before arriving at Stark Industries, Tony stopped by at a florist and picked up a large bouquet of jewel tone calla lilies and red and pink and white roses to help with his apology. Once he arrived at Stark Industries, Tony grabbed the flowers he bought and headed directly up to his office. Jarvis had told him that Pepper was working in her adjoining office and that was where he was headed. _

_Tony entered his office quietly and told his secretary, Mary, to make herself scarce for a little while as he took deep centering breaths to draw up the courage to do what he had to do._

_Tony paused one last time as he heard Pepper on the phone from behind the door. He opened it slowly and silently presented the flowers to Pepper._

_Pepper looked up when her door opened and she was a little surprised to see Tony there with beautiful flowers in his hand. She hung up the phone and thanked him for the flowers. "These are beautiful, Tony, but why?" she asked as she got a vase for them._

_"Because I owe you an apology," Tony said with a shuddering breath. "You asked what you get in exchange for my life if I die and I have an answer. You already have my life already." He said as he took her hands in his. "__I would give you everything I have in a split second...my heart, my soul, my money...my name...if you wanted it..." Tears were now rolling down his face as his voice shook as he spoke. "I know I was wrong to get drunk and then go out. I just needed to clear my head and flying always did that. But last night when you walked out, it felt like I was being torn in half. You have and still hold my heart in your hands. I can't live without you. Please come back."_

_Pepper started to tear up as Tony spoke. He was speaking straight from the heart with no masks or tricks. "Tony, make me a promise because I know if you promise me, you will try your damnedest not to break it."_

_"Your wish is my command…" Tony stated quickly._

_"I can't ask you to stop being Iron Man no matter how much I want to but I want you to promise me that you won't go joyriding like that again. If you are not in hold of your faculties, have Jarvis override you. I want you home safe."_

_"I'll program that into him right away," Tony said. "Does this mean you'll come home?"_

_Pepper nodded as she kissed Tony deeply. "Someone has to put you back together."_

_"You can put me back together at any time in any way you want."_

"It still took me another seven years to quit completely after that. I cut back enormously but I could not break the demon's hold until you and your sister were five years old." Tony explained. "And never let anyone tell you that your mother is weak and delicate. She is about as weak and delicate as a tiger shark and she got stronger after getting the Stark name."

Jamie sat in stunned silence after what he heard. He had never thought about it like that before. "I can't lose Marina like that."

"That's what I thought you would say." Tony said confidently, knowing full well that the story would have gotten to Jamie. "Now, you can prove it to her."

"I still can't believe that Mom hauled off and slapped you.'

"Neither can I and it still stings when I think about it." Tony joked as he and Jamie headed back to the beach. "She had a damn big ring on when she did it too."

As night fell on the last night in Mexico, a general feeling of happiness mixed with vacation let down swept over the group. After dinner, Jamie and Marina had gone to the dance club. Rhodey had followed on his own but stayed far enough back as to not make Jamie think he was spying. Tony and Pepper took advantage of having the suite to themselves as David and Emma went for a walk along the grounds of the hotel and the beach.

As David and Emma were passing one of the main pools, just under the window to the Stark suite, Wesley Bonaventure came stumbling out – pissed off and drunk as hell. He caught Emma in his sights as he left the bar and headed right over to her and David. He grabbed her wrist roughly and pulled her towards him, forcing a rough kiss on her.

Emma slapped him across the face, letting her nails scratch him as she fought back. David stepped forward and pushed Emma behind him as he stood toe to toe with Bonaventure, almost daring him to pick a fight.

From the suite, Tony heard a scream and he flew to the window to see Bonaventure grab Emma. He nearly flew out the door before Pepper grabbed his hand.

"Don't go, Tony." She told him in a gentle but firm tone.

"I am going to kill Bonaventure for grabbing Emma." Tony growled.

"Let David handle it. He is already there with her."

"Excuse me?" Tony asked, making sure he heard Pepper right.

"Let David handle it. If he needs help, he'll ask for it."

Tony's adrenaline was surging through his body and he was getting fidgety just standing around. "I can't stand by and watch our daughter get manhandled by an asshole."

"Tony, you have to step back this once," Pepper urged. "I hate to tell you this but most likely David will be your son-in-law one day and how will you look in your daughter's eyes if you go down there an emasculate him right in front of her?"

Tony froze and sat back down on the bed. Pepper did have a point. "Just for the record, I am not happy about this."

"Noted." Pepper sighed.

"I just figured that since Stark stole my girl, I can get one of his," Bonaventure slurred angrily at David.

David could easily see that he was confusing Tony and Jamie. He figured the best course of action was a defensive one at first unless it got ugly. "Find another hobby, man. You lost this competition like you did all the others."

"What would you know about that?" Bonaventure spat.

"I know enough from what I see," David countered as he took Emma's hand. "I see a man with nothing really except a lot of what he thinks he's entitled to when in reality he doesn't deserve what he does have. He deserves to have the shit kicked out of him several times over until he learns humility." He added as he eyed Bonaventure and started backing away from him. "But in short, you are not worth the time for someone to kick your ass because you are nothing and that is what you always have been. Good night."

With that final word, David and Emma walked off towards the beach leaving the broken Bonaventure on the walkway.

Morning came too soon and the call back to the airport to fly home. The gate for the New York flight was right next to the one for Los Angeles while the Stark private jet was one more over. Marina had to go on the New York flight, no matter how much Jamie begged. He pulled her close and gave her a deep, searing kiss that lasted damn near five minutes.

As Jamie was saying goodbye, Bonaventure walked by and made a sound of disgust when he saw Jamie and Marina.

Tony caught the air Bonaventure was putting on and he had enough. "Excuse me for a moment, Pepper." Tony said.

"Don't do anything stupid." Pepper warned.

'This isn't stupid, Pepper. He has had this coming to him for thirty-five years." Tony replied as he walked over to Bonaventure and tapped him on the shoulder.

When Bonaventure turned, Tony landed a hard right hook right into Bonaventure's chin, sending him crashing to the floor.

"That is why you will never be me. A CEO needs to be able to put up a fight." Tony spat as he walked back over to Pepper, took her hand and got on his plane with Emma, David, Rhodey and Jamie.


	32. Chapter 32

It was a cold and gray March morning in New York that started out peaceful enough. Wesley Bonaventure had gone to Boston, leaving his assistant – Marina Sebastiano all on her own in the office.

Marina actually secretly enjoyed the times that her boss was away, especially after she started dating Jamie Stark. Wesley Bonaventure had made no secret about his hatred for the entire Stark family, except for Pepper, and made very sure that Marina knew he did not approve. But when he was gone, it was so much more relaxed to be at work. She could take the picture of Jamie out from her drawer and put it on her desk. Bring up her choice of music on her computer and get so much more accomplished when Bonaventure wasn't around.

After turning the music on, Marina started her daily routine of going through the mail and phone messages. She sorted the mail for her boss into the categories of what needed to be dealt with immediately and what could wait. Just as she finished with the mail, a delivery came in but it was not for Bonaventure but for her. Marina signed for it and thanked the deliverer before opening it.

In the package was a rainbow of roses and lilies with four cards with it. Marina opened the smallest card first and smiled when she saw it was from Jamie.

_'A little brightness to bring some warmth to the bleakness of a New York winter – Love Jamie.'_

Then she looked at the other three envelopes. All of them looked like heavy invitation envelopes and each on had the Stark family seal embedded in them. The first one she opened was an invitation to the Black Tie celebration for Jamie and Emma's nineteenth birthday. The second was an invitation to the "real" birthday party with just the family. This one was handwritten by Jamie if she could tell correctly – complete chicken scratch. The last one was an invitation to the party for Tony and Pepper's twentieth wedding anniversary – another Black Tie event. Marina quickly sent her affirmative RSVP in for all of them. One thing she quickly learned when you date Jamie Stark – you need a lot of evening gowns.

After the mail was done and her spirit significantly warmed, Marina went to organizing the files. This was something that needed to be done regularly but was impossible when her boss was around. She started to sift through the file cabinets and found items that were over twenty years old in them when they should have been tossed long ago.

Marina pulled out a bunch of folders and started to go through them meticulously in order to thin things out properly. As she went through the items, she found records of old shipping manifests, some of them dating back to the late 1990s and early 2000s. Something about these spoke up to her. Something was not right about these. They were signed by Wesley Bonaventure and a name she did not know – Obadiah Stane.

Marina went through more of the folders and found more manifests that her boss and this Stane had signed. None of this seemed right and she had to tell someone about it.

Marina gathered up the manifests and went upstairs to where Emma's office was. She had heard that Emma was in New York for a few meetings at the request Tony and Marina hoped that she was available.

Marina was pleasantly greeted by Jeannie, Emma's secretary when she got upstairs.

"Jeannie, is Emma available? I need to talk to her about something." Marina asked.

"Go right in. She's just tying up a few loose ends before heading back to California." Jeannie replied.

Marina thanked her and opened Emma's office door. Emma's office was second in beauty only to her father's. It had one of the best views in the building and the finest of everything from the black leather couch to the black marble desk.

"This is a surprise. What do I owe the pleasure, Marina? Did my brother mess up on something?" Emma asked as she welcomed Marina in.

"I only wish this was a pleasure visit but I found something that I think you should see." Marina said as she held out the manifests. "Something seems very out of sort with these and I thought your father would want to know about them."

Emma took the old manifests and examined them. She knew the history of Stark Industries as well as her parents did and one name stuck out – Obadiah Stane, the late former Chief Financial Officer. She skimmed through the shipping manifests and found that they were major weapons purchases all sent to the Middle East. "My father will want to see these," Emma said seriously as the smile disappeared. "If I am correct about this, Bonaventure will be lucky just to get tossed out on his ass."

Marina paled at this. Her boss was going to get fired from what she discovered? "What will that mean for me?" she asked worriedly.

"Probably a promotion," Emma said with a smile as she put all the manifests into her bag. "My dad has wanted to toss him for years and now he has a reason to." She explained. "I don't know when things will go down but be on the watch and say nothing. I'll probably be seeing you in a few days."

A week later, Marina was silently going through the mail as usual. As she sorted though them she saw two envelopes from Human Resources – one for her and one for her boss. Bonaventure's was marked deliver immediately and Marina's was told to wait for a signal. Marina silently went into her boss' office and handed the mail to him before returning to her desk as was custom.

Wesley Bonaventure opened the letter from Human Resources and felt his temper explode as he read it.

'_NOTICE OF TERMINATION_

_Effective immediately, you are hereby informed that your employment at Stark Industries International has been terminated for reasons of business practice and character that do not reflect the best of this company. Please have your personal effects cleared out by the end of the business day._

_Anthony E. Stark_

_CEO, Stark Industries International'_

"I want to talk to Stark RIGHT NOW!" Bonaventure roared out his door as he emerged in a furious rage.

"Which one, sir?" Marina asked fearfully.

"I don't give a shit which one. If you get the bitch down here, I am sure her bastard of a father will hear it sooner or later." Bonaventure spat.

Then his outer office door opened with Emma standing behind it. "Well if you want to talk to the bitch, here I am." She said coolly as she crossed her arms.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" Bonaventure spat as he shoved the letter in Emma's face.

"Termination of employment, end of benefits, losing your way of life as you know it. Seems pretty self-explanatory to me." Emma said without even flinching as Bonaventure tried to frighten her. "Basically, if you need a translation, it means get the hell out right now."

"You have no authority to do this to me," Bonaventure growled at her.

"You're right. I don't," Emma said coolly as she back up to the door. "But he does."

No sooner the words left Emma's mouth; Tony appeared in the doorway looking pissed off and scary as hell. This was what Pepper always called the New York version – the tiger shark - always on the move, deadly smart and will kill anything that gets in his way. "So I'm a bastard now. I haven't been called that for years, especially since given the definition, it's not true.' He said smoothly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Wesley spat in Tony's face.

"You're done. Get the hell out." Tony said coldly. "You should be lucky that I am just firing you and not having you hauled off to jail given the laundry list of crimes you have committed."

"I haven't committed any crimes," Bonaventure said indignantly.

"Really? Let's just see here," Tony said as Emma handed him the folder Marina had given her. "Conspiracy to the defraud the company, selling munitions to known terrorist groups, embezzlement…just to name a few." He said as he closed the folder. "Emma, get security up here to have his ass thrown to the street."

"I refuse to leave." Bonaventure said firmly.

"Have it your way. Emma, get the NYPD in here and have him arrested. I don't ever want to see him again." Tony said with a distinct note of finality.

Emma pulled out her cell phone and within minutes, Wesley Bonaventure was being hauled out in handcuffs with a variety of state and federal charges sacked on him.

Marina had stayed silent through most of this, almost afraid to speak until her boss was being taken away. "What happens to me now?" she asked hesitantly.

"Haven't you opened your letter yet?" Tony asked in a far calmer tone with a smile on his face.

Marina grabbed her letter and read it quickly and smiled. "I work for you now?"

"Unless you don't want to?" Tony said. "My secretary Mary retired some years ago and I haven't found someone good to replace her. You are a lot like Pepper so I figured you would work perfectly."

Marina was shocked to receive such a compliment from Tony Stark himself. "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best for you."


	33. Chapter 33

March 27th started out like almost any other morning in the Stark mansion – with rock music blaring up from the garage. But this time it was a little bit different. This time is was Jamie and Emma's nineteenth birthday and the music was coming not from Tony's stereo but Tony and Jamie playing _Rock Band_.

From the time that Jamie had woke up that morning and descended into the garage in a t-shirt and his boxers with little playing cards on them, he had been manning the drums and the microphone while Tony commandeered the guitar. Pepper didn't mind since it kept both of them out of trouble and out of her hair while Emma exercised her right on her birthday – shopping with Tony's credit card.

At about ten, Marina nervously knocked on the door to the mansion. She had only recently moved to California since being promoted to Tony's staff after Bonaventure got the boot and she had only seen pictures of the Stark mansion. She admittedly jumped when Jarvis greeted her by name but calmed down when Pepper opened the door.

"Good morning, Mrs. Stark." Marina said with a smile as she carried two large gift bags for Jamie and Emma.

"How are you, Marina? Did you have any trouble finding the house?" Pepper said as she took the bags and set them in another room with the rest of the gifts for the twins.

"Mrs. Stark, no one could have trouble finding this house." Marina said with a laugh. "Is Jamie here?"

"He's down in the garage with his father…hopefully staying out of trouble." Pepper said as she pointed to the staircase that lead to the garage. "You may want to knock loudly when you get down there. They like the music loud."

"I'll be sure to do that." Marina said warmly as she headed down the steps to where the blaring sound of rock music was coming from. As she got closer, she peeked in the windows first before announcing herself. Marina was kind of expecting something like this when she started to get to know her new boss but not the grandeur. She scanned the room quickly to find her boyfriend and his father, finding them in front of the TV playing _Rock Band_.

Marina smiled at the sight. Jamie was shirtless and working up quite a sweat as he managed drums and signing at the top of his lungs at the same time. Then she had to admit why Pepper was a very lucky woman when she saw Tony in a t-shirt and pajama pants rocking on the guitar with his son. The t-shirt painted a great picture at how in shape Tony was and Marina thanked whoever was responsible for giving Jamie the same genes as his father. Marina knocked just as they finished a song.

At the knocking, Jamie turned around and fell off the stool he was sitting on in a bit of embarrassment when he saw Marina. His face flushed a brilliant shade of red as he scrambled to his feet, not knowing which was worse – being caught in his underwear when he wasn't planning on it or being caught with the arc reactor exposed.

Tony started laughing at his son's situation as he opened the door for Marina and let her in.

"I am sorry if I am interrupting but Mrs. Stark said Jamie was down here and I wanted to wish him a happy birthday," Marina quickly explained as she eyes Jamie trying to cover himself but eventually stopped fidgeting and just crossed his arms in front of him. He's been a lot less attired than this in front of a girl? Why was Marina different?

"I'll let you have him for a while. I can use a drink anyway," Tony said with a smile as he tossed Jamie his t-shirt and headed up stairs.

Jamie quickly pulled his shirt on before giving Marina a kiss. "Thank you." He told her as he offered her a seat.

Marina was a little confused at why Jamie spazzed out like he did and she was definitely curious as to what that thing was on his chest. She slowly reached out and touched the raised circle through Jamie's shirt. "What is that?"

Jamie placed his hand over hers and moved it so she could feel his heart beneath the arc reactor. "That is an arc reactor. It powers the pace maker that keeps me alive." He said seriously.

"How long have you had it?" Marina asked calmly.

"Since I was thirteen. My Dad made it so I would not need to be jump started like a battery every year to recharge the pace maker." Jamie admitted as he pulled his shirt back off to allow her to see it.

"What does it feel like?" Marina asked as she touched the metal rim gingerly.

"At first it was odd but now I don't even know that it's there, except sometimes at night when it seems like a night light." Jamie stated as he watched Marina's fingers play with the reactor.

Marina blushed a bit when her next question popped into her head. "How have you managed so long with this…I mean keeping it secret with all your…activities?"

"Which activities are you referring to?" Jamie asked, even though he had an idea. "The Air Force and NASA already know about it."

Marina blushed deeper. "All your previous female conquests that were as well known as your father's used to be."

"Ahh…those." Jamie sighed. "You may not like the answer when I tell you."

"Jamie, I already know about the other girls so not much is going to shock me."

"Well…" Jamie said as he was rubbing the back of his neck and starting to pink up again. He never thought he would need to talk about this. "I didn't take off my shirt until the lights went out and then it was positioning which kept my secret."

"Positioning?"

"Mostly from behind…" Jamie admitted.

"Is that your favorite?"

"No." Jamie said quickly, making Marina blush again. "But this thing does more than just keep me alive."

"What else does it do?" Marina asked, slightly puzzled.

"How would you like to go for a ride?" Jamie asked as he stood up and offered her his hand.

* * *

Just as Tony was coming up the stairs, Pepper was letting David in the house.

"Emma isn't here right now. She is single handedly helping the southern California economy and melting my credit cards." Tony said as he greeted David.

"I don't think I get you." David stated, a little bit confused.

"She's using her birthday gift and shopping in Beverly Hills." Pepper clarified.

David sighed deeply. "That's good because I actually want to talk to the two of you first." He said nervously.

Pepper smiled when she heard this. "No wonder why he seems nervous." She thought to herself.

Warning alarms started going off in Tony's head when he heard this. He knew exactly what may be coming and he didn't like it.

Pepper saw Tony go into battle mode and she gently took his hand as they sat down on the couch across from David. "What do you want to talk to us about?"

David took another deep breath as he fidgeted a little bit. "It's about her birthday gift. I would like to ask your permission to marry Emma." He stated. "I would like to propose to her as part of her gift."

Tony was about to open his mouth to protest when Pepper jabbed her elbow into his side to shut him up. "Have you two discussed this at all? You have only been together for six months."

"Not directly but I know I can't lose her. She's perfect for me."

"When are you expecting this wedding to take place provided that she says yes?" Tony asked just a little too harshly.

David fully expected a battle when it came to Tony. Hell, he expected one with Jamie as well. "I expect it will be a long engagement, probably two years."

Tony saw this as a challenge and he was going to try to trip David Roosevelt up on this one. "How do you expect to support her in the style she has become accustomed to?"

David flinched on this one. "My law practice has always been very successful and there has been some talk that I may be made an Ambassador to Europe. I know her salary is higher than mine but I am sure I can care for her."

The gauntlet was thrown down. "Does it bother you that Emma makes more than you and will one day be the head of a multi-national Fortune 500 corporation?" Tony asked.

"No sir, not at all. In fact it was her strength and tenacity that attracted me to her. Emma is a strong, independent woman and I value that in her. It's what makes her the diamond in the rough and that is no doubt a credit to her upbringing by you two. I applaud her success and wish to celebrate it with her."

Tony was actually impressed by David's answer. It was either carefully crafted from a brilliant attorney or the honest truth and Tony read it as the truth from the man who wanted to take his daughter as his wife. As a sign of acceptance, although reluctant, Tony held out his hand to David.

David was genuinely surprised when Tony offered his hand. "Thank you sir. I promise I'll take care of her." He said as he shook Tony's hand.

Tony purposely nearly crushed David's hand with the force of his iron grip. "You bet you will." He stated. "Because if you ever hurt her, I assure you that you will find yourself facing down one of my weapons."

David swallowed hard and nodded in understanding as Tony released his hand.

"Can we see the ring?" Pepper interjected, trying to calm the tension.

David reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. He cracked it open to reveal a diamond set between two aquamarines. "The diamond once belonged to Eleanor Roosevelt. I had it reset with her birthstones."

Pepper smiled when she saw the ring and she looked over to Tony, who was trying to avoid looking at it. "I am sure she will love it when she says yes." Pepper said as she gave the ring back. "Do you know when you will ask her?"

"I need to pick my moment but I'll know the right moment." David said as he stood up to leave. "Am I correct that everyone was meeting up to go horseback riding at one o'clock at the Paramount Ranch?"

"Yes. Hopefully you have some skills on a horse because Emma is a world champion." Tony commented with a smirk.

"I can hold my own well enough. Until then." David replied as he said goodbye and left.

Once the door shut, Tony got up from the couch and went out on to the balcony to try to clear his head as he tried to swallow what he had just heard.

Pepper saw him gripping the banister so tight that his knuckles were white as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I told you that this would come some day." She said gently as she leaned her head against his back.

"I know that but it still doesn't mean I have to like it." Tony ground out.

"He loves Emma. He loves her enough to brave facing you to ask our permission before he proposed. He makes Emma happy. Can't you be happy for them?" Pepper told him.

"It's going to take me a while but I'll try." Tony said in compromise as he heard a sudden blast and a whoosh come up from the garage. He spun around to see a blue bolt come out of the garage with what looked like Marina in his arms. Tony then looked to Pepper and pointed to Jamie in the sky with a pout. "See? Marina goes up with him right away and I have been after you for years to go flying with me. I have far more hours experience and I promise I won't make you throw up."

Pepper just rolled her eyes and laughed as she gave Tony a kiss. "Marina is more of a daredevil than I am."

"Like hell she is. You stood up to Obie when he had automatic weapons pointed at your head. I am just talking about a leisure flight here." Tony countered as Pepper pulled him back in the house.

"I prefer flying with you in other ways." Pepper said as she pulled Tony more towards the stairs that went up.

Tony saw where Pepper was pulling him and quickly got the hint. "Roger that. I can definitely send you to as many high altitudes that you want." He said as he ran up the stairs after her.

* * *

As Jamie took off from the garage, he had one arm bracing Marina across her back and one around her stomach, pulling her in tighter as he spun through the air and picked up speed. He climbed for a bit and then leveled out, flipping on his back and settling Marina on his stomach as he flew backwards.

"So is this better than my Viper?" he said from inside his helmet.

"This is awesome and so much fun!" Marina screamed.

"How are your core muscles?" Jamie asked.

"Good enough…why?"

"Do you want to fly?" Jamie asked as he took a hold of her again and flipped over.

"Can I?" Marina asked incredulously.

"Sure you can," Jamie told her. "Now listen to me carefully. Flatten yourself out and never let go of my hand." He said as he extended his left arm and made sure that his hand had a good grip on her forearm."

Marina did as Jamie said and held onto his arm as he extended it out and let her fly next to him. "This is indescribable!" Marina gasped as she watched the ocean underneath them. "This is like what Superman did to Lois Lane in the movie."

"Please," Jamie scoffed as he pulled her back in close again. "My suit is so much better than an alien in tights and a flimsy red cape."

"Forgive me. I forgot who I was talking to." Marina said with a laugh. "There's only one problem with the suit."

"What's that?" Jamie asked as he quickly scanned his screens for any issues.

"I can't kiss you with the helmet on." Marina stated.

"That is easily fixed." Jamie said as he turned back towards the mansion and landed softly inside the garage. Once his feet touched the ground, he flipped his helmet off and pulled Marina in close and kissed her deeply. "How's that now?"

"Probably the single hottest experience of my entire life. I find that suit very sexy." Marina said as her feet finally hit the floor.

"Really?" Jamie said with a bit of a smirk. "Is this something I can use to my advantage?"

"Maybe later if you're a good boy."

"Later? I can get my parents out of here now. Why wait?" Jamie exclaimed as the robots started disarming him.

"Because you have to earn it." Marina said with a smile.

* * *

At one o'clock, everyone met up at the Paramount Ranch for what Emma wanted to do – trail riding. Located in the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains, Paramount Ranch was once owned by Paramount Studios, who used it in hundreds of movie productions for its versatile and scenic landscape. The ride that they chose went through rolling hills, flowing streams, and through the studio's old Western Town and crossed over into Malibu Creek State Park, which added scenic views of mountains, lakes, and enchanted forests, which was once owned by 20th Century Fox. This also happened to be the ranch where Emma's horses – Iron Maiden and Firedancer were stabled when she wasn't competing with them.

The ranch hands pulled out five horses since Marina said she had absolutely no experience on horses. She opted to ride with Jamie instead. For Emma, the ranch hand pulled out Firedancer – a powerful black mare and the younger of her two horses. For Tony, a large chestnut stallion by the name of Arthur was chosen. An equally large stallion was chosen for Jamie and Marina that was named Lancelot. Pepper got a Palomino mare named Guinevere and David had a former racing gelding named Galahad.

They started out on the trail with Pepper in front, followed by Tony since he was a bit more experienced than she was. David followed Tony and Emma was behind him as Jamie and Marina brought up the rear. It was at least a three hour ride and half way through it went through an old movie set. As they entered the set, the guide that they had broke off for a bit to allow for browsing. When the guide stepped away, Pepper's horse continued forward until it heard a snap followed by a rattle. The horse panicked and bolted, forcing Pepper to hold on tight or fall off.

Seeing Pepper's horse bolt, Tony gave his a swift kick to follow after her. From the back Emma saw her parents take off at a full run and she kicked Firedancer into action, using the reins to get the most speed possible out of her horse. Within moments, Tony had one side of Pepper's panicked horse while Emma had the other. Tony rode close enough to keep Pepper from falling and getting hurt while Emma reached down to grab the reins and pull the horse to a stop. After that, Pepper decided to share with Tony for the rest of the way back. Tony really enjoyed the new arrangements. It meant that he could pull Pepper close to him as they rode and get in as many cheap feels as he wanted with very little notice and after an hour and a half of Pepper being against him in a more intimate matter, Tony was very appreciative of the fact that the kids used their own cars and a quickie in the back seat was always fun.

After horseback riding, Jamie had chosen for everyone to go to the Santa Monica pier for the rides and games. Being the adrenaline junkies that they are, Tony and Jamie went on every ride that was designed to make you scream and throw up and yawned their way through them. Everyone else opted to watch or go on things that didn't make you regret eating first, like the carousel.

Then they hit the midway for the games and Jamie found a way to impress Marina. He stepped up to the milk bottles since it had the biggest animals there and involved baseballs.

"You said I have to impress you and earn it, right?" Jamie asked Marina.

"That I did." Marina said quietly so everyone else wouldn't hear.

"Will an animal count towards that?"

Marina nodded with a smile as Jamie stepped forward.

"How many do I have to knock down for the big one?" Jamie asked.

"The biggest one?"

"Yeah."

"All three stacks with one shot each."

Jamie nodded and paid the guy for the three baseballs. "Go ahead and pick out which one you want now." He told Marina as he loosened up his arm. He threw the first ball and sent the bottles flying. He repeated with the second. Before throwing the third, he stole a kiss from Marina and then flattened the last stack, winning the giant dog for Marina.

Now after that, Tony was not going to be shown up by his kid, birthday or not. "Oh, I see how this is going to be. This looks like a battle now. Ready to put your money where your mouth is?" Tony asked Jamie.

"Are you suggesting a head to head competition here?" Jamie countered.

"If you are, I am getting in on this." David interjected.

"This means war now." Tony said.

"How are you judging the winner of this little contest?" Pepper asked as she crossed her arms.

"Which ever lady goes home with the most critters. That behemoth there that Marina is holding doesn't count." Tony stated.

"I think us ladies better find something else to do since the guys are going to be at this for a while." Emma suggested, knowing how her father and brother got when competition was involved.

"I think you may be right." Pepper agreed.

"You can't go anywhere. You have to be by us so you can get your winnings." Tony insisted, pulling out the puppy dog eyes. "Come on, Pep. I'll win you a big one."

Pepper wasn't going to try to fight it. "Very well. Let the games begin."

First on the row were the water guns which all three lost out. Then came the darts. Tony and Jamie each hit two but David managed to knock out four and won a huge rabbit for Emma. Next on the row were the fuzz balls that needed to be knocked down with baseballs. David managed one. Tony flattened two but Jamie claimed victory with all three and got a teddy bear with a big red bow for Marina. The last round of competition was Whack a Mole. All three of them were smashing moles furiously but in the end, Tony was victorious and bagged a huge lion for Pepper.

Before they left though, Tony had to make one more stop at a target shooting game. He had to prove, if only to himself, that he still had damn good aim with a firearm. He paid the guy and loaded the rifle with BBs, took aim and fired. The spattering of ammo came out smoothly and within seconds, he had managed to shoot out the entire star and won Pepper a giant unicorn.

"I told you I would win you a big one." Tony said playfully as he kissed Pepper before heading to the cars.

It was early evening by the time everyone arrived back at the mansion for dinner. This was when David and Marina got the supreme shock. Given then environment they found themselves in, they expected a spread that would have easily cost either one of them more than a year's salary instead of what they found. Turned out, Emma and Jamie had simpler tastes like their father did and this year their tastes went along the lines of pizza. All three of course complained that it wasn't exactly New York pizza but it was the closest they could get to in California.

Before everyone got too stuffed from the pizza, Pepper brought out the cake she had ordered with twenty candles on it from the twins. The twins took after Tony so much, even with his odd combinations of snacks. The twins' favorite cake for their birthday was a marble chocolate chip cake with raspberry filling and butter cream frosting – a terribly sweet concoction that had about 2,000 calories a slice but it didn't matter to them.

As everyone was digesting the incredible load of junk food that they had consumed, Jamie and Emma were finally given access to all the gifts that had been coming in that Pepper had hidden from them. The twins would alternate opening gifts like it was choreographed. Both of them got movies, music, games, clothes, books and the special gifts.

Marina gave Jamie the bag she had gotten for him first. Even though she knew she should not be shy around him, it was still a little bit intimidating to have Tony even nearby.

Jamie looked at the bag and then over at Marina. "Can I open this in general company?" he joked.

Marina responded by throwing a pillow from the couch at his head.

"Okay, she definitely fits in here," Tony said with a laugh as he watched Jamie duck out of the way. "Nice shot, by the way."

Jamie pulled the bag over and found it to be quite heavy actually. "What did you put in here, a rocket?" he asked as he pulled out the tissue paper and lifted up a beautiful chess set with pewter pieces that resembled the final battle from _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone._ "Wow, this is amazing."

"I got the idea for that when I found your stash of Harry Potter books and that beat up old chess set you had. I believe you call chess nerd Olympics." Marina said.

"It's only one event." Jamie stated. "Backgammon is also high on the list." He added as he gave a wink to his father since both of them would try to kick each other's asses either way.

Then Marina passed a smaller bag to Emma.

"You didn't need to do this," Emma said as she thanked her. She opened the bag to find a pair of fire topaz teardrop earrings. "This was too generous of you."

"I thought they just screamed you when I saw them." Marina admitted.

Then came David's gifts. He handed the first one to Emma. "I forgot your card in the car. I'll get it after everything else is done." He said in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"Don't worry about that." Emma said as she pulled out a rather large box. She opened it up and found a black leather bridal and black saddle blanket inside both with red roses on them. "These are beautiful. I don't know which horse gets to use them though." She admitted.

"That will be the tough decision." David said with a smile as he passed the other box over to Jamie.

"This is really far too generous," Jamie said as he thanked David and tore into the paper to reveal a tavern dart board set with darts. "You do know that I will have to kick your ass in this later, right?"

"I was counting on it." David countered.

Then came the final two gifts from Tony and Pepper. As a Stark family tradition begun by Howard and Maria, these were the gifts with the cards and the most special. They gave Jamie his first since he was the oldest by mere minutes.

This was always the one card Jamie never read aloud and never shared, taking what his parents wrote in it just for himself. After the card visibly silenced him and moved him, Jamie moved to the small wrapped box. He tore through the paper to reveal a ring box. He opened it and was thoroughly taken back by what was inside. Jamie pulled out a gold signet ring with the Stark family crest embedded into the ruby that sat on top of it.

"That one belonged to my father," Tony offered up when he saw Jamie's expression. "I was going to give it to you last year but you had other things in mind." He added with a laugh.

Jamie slipped the ring on his right middle finger and then got up to hug Pepper and Tony to thank them.

After Jamie had finished, Emma started on hers. The card actually brought tears to her eyes, especially since she knew which parent wrote it. She opened the paper to reveal a red box inside. Emma opened the box to find a necklace inside - an eighteen carat yellow gold necklace with alternating diamonds and rubies going around a circular pendant that looked very much like the arc reactor – just like the necklace Tony bought for Pepper.

"All the Stark women deserve brilliant jewelry," Tony said as he put the necklace on Emma's neck.

"It's beyond brilliant. Thank you." Emma said when she found her voice again to hug both of her parents and thank them.

As Emma sat back down, David quickly excused himself and ran to his car to get the card he had for her. When he came back in, he almost nonchalantly handed it to her.

Emma opened the card and as she read it, it did not seem like a birthday card. She opened the card further to find a diamond and aquamarine ring tied to a ribbon inside and Emma stopped breathing again, looking up long enough to find David on one knee in front of her.

"I know a treasure when I have found one and when I find it; I don't want to lose it. Emma, will you marry me?" David asked as he untied the ring.

Emma was thoroughly surprised but her head nodded first before she said 'Yes' softly.

David smiled as he slipped the ring on her finger, his hands shaking as he did so and sealed it with a kiss.


	34. Chapter 34

_Somewhere deep in the windswept Afghani desert a cell phone rings in a tent. It is picked up silently and cautiously._

_"I have something you want and you have been unable to get."_

_"Who is this?"_

_"March twenty-eighth at nine o'clock in Los Angeles. You will be finally able to get what you have wanted for twenty years."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"A messenger." The phone went dead._

It wasn't a long limo ride to Disney Hall but it certainly was cozy with six people in tuxedos and evening gowns in the stretch. Unlike the day of their actual birthday, the night of the black tie gala for Jamie and Emma's birthday was miserably wet and cold. The rain pounded on the roof so loud that it nearly drowned out the radio.

"I still don't get this whole affair," David commented as he sipped at a bottle of water. "You obviously had the party you enjoyed yesterday. Most of the people in this car try to avoid this type of affair at all costs…"

"Not all the time." Jamie chimed in.

"I didn't say all the time." David amended before he continued. "And we all know how no one likes the paparazzi here so why do you do an event that is almost specifically set up for them? And what happens to the so-called gifts that you both receive at this thing?"

Emma held up her hand to stop David's rant to try to explain. "We all do the obligatory glitz and glamour thing for the paparazzi so they don't crash the more important things." She started. "We don't really get gifts from this. All the money that people gave goes to several different charities as endowments from either us personally or the Stark Foundation."

"All of it?"

"Every single dime." Tony chimed in. "It always has." He added, not exactly liking the line of questioning. "If you are really curious as to which ones, the majority of it goes to the March of Dimes."

Pepper held Tony's hand a little tighter to give him a silent and unnoticeable signal to shut up.

"Is there a reason for that?" David asked in a far calmer tone and more polite.

"We wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for them." Jamie answered without any joking in his voice, giving David a look to knock it off or he would do it for him.

David quickly shut up after the dark glare he got from his future brother in law, just in time as the limo was pulling up to the entrance.

The red carpet was lined five people deep with cameras, all trying to get that coveted shot. As Happy moved around to get the door, Tony shifted slightly as if he was putting on a different skin.

"Show time…" he mouthed as the car opened and he stepped out and then helped Pepper.

The flash bulbs erupted as soon as each of them stepped on to the red carpet leading inside as people were screaming out their names to try to get a quote or a close up but the Stark family was accustomed to this. Their calm, cool exteriors with practiced smiles and charm eased their way through the crowds. Tony stopped to give a few words with Pepper as he waved on the others to go inside since the twins were technically the guests of honor.

Once they were inside, it was a completely different environment. The chaos of the red carpet had dissolved into an upper-class benefit complete with a band, people dancing, drinking, socializing and networking and having a good time in general.

After Tony and Pepper had rejoined the twins and their respective significant others, the group started to split off from each other to mingle since they were technically the hosts of this little show. Jamie took Marina to the dance floor to show her off and to impress her with his skills that he did not get to show her in Mexico. Emma skillfully worked the room with David, showing how well she had been taught in the world of party etiquette.

Tony had been keeping an eye on them occasionally as he and Pepper made the rounds. Well, maybe more David than anything. He may have proposed to Emma but that did not stop Tony from being concerned and did not ease his desire to castrate him if he tried anything with his little girl.

After about an hour of mixing, David was eager for a little time alone with Emma. By nature, he was a very private person and he really needed to get used to all the flash that came along with his bride to be. As she was thanking a contributor for their generosity, he came up behind her and whispered in her ear that maybe they should get some air.

Emma excused herself and then turned with a smile. "I know the perfect place to go." She said as she took his hand and led him up to the roof, passing by most of the people like they weren't even there.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pepper saw Emma run off with David to the roof and she smiled. She remembered her moment with Tony on that roof very well and it would have been better if he hadn't left her there. Secretly, Pepper was glad that Tony did not catch the two of them leaving or he would have hit the roof. He was too engulfed in conversation with the junior senator from New York as Pepper discreetly got closer to him. As he spoke, Pepper made a quick scan of the room. Jamie was slow dancing with Marina and Emma was on the roof but something still seemed out of sorts to her. Everything seemed in place but there was a gut feeling that something was out of sorts.

Up on the roof under the clearing sky, David took his opportunity to steal a few kisses from Emma without Tony breathing down his neck every time he got too close for his comfort.

"I don't think your dad was too happy about my birthday gift to you." David sighed.

"Give him time to adjust to it. He'll get used to it." Emma said reassuringly as she heard the sound of the roof door open and close, signaling that they were no longer alone.

Two men in tuxedos rounded the corner but something about their faces set off a reason to worry. While her purse was behind her back, Emma pulled out her cell phone and started to press the code that would summon her glider if necessary.

"Look what we have here, a pretty little dish with something in the way." One of the men growled as he licked his lips at Emma.

David stepped in front of her to get in between them. "Get the hell away from her." He ground out.

"You first," the man said as he threw David out of the way.

David scrambled to his feet and ran back over to where Emma was as two shots echoed in the night. Everything seemed to blur together. He heard Emma scream and then felt something equivalent to a tent peg being rammed through his shoulder. Almost as if in slow motion, David put his hand up to his shoulder and peeled it away covered in blood before he fell to the ground.

"You son of a bitch!" Emma growled as she pushed hard against her captor. "You will pay for this with your blood. I'll kill you myself for that."

"We'll see who pays first," the man said as he passed Emma, kicking and screaming, to his subordinate with the gun and headed back into the ball.

The goons headed back down the staircase while Emma continued to thrash against them. The leader drew his weapon, a Stark Industries made semi-automatic and opened the door.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen…welcome to the event!" he shouted rather joyfully as he cocked the gun. "I guess you all thought you were coming to a fancy ball." He laughed as he walked up to the stage. "Now, if you would all be so kind, men on one side and women on the other and no one will get hurt."

The room started to scramble to either side except for four people who stood their ground – Tony, Pepper, Jamie and Marina. Tony and Pepper ended up being near the center of the room while Jamie was off to the side where the women had gathered.

"Hide among them," Jamie whispered to Marina as she was behind him.

"I won't leave you." Marina whispered harshly.

"I don't want you hurt and for the moment they don't know about you. I would like to keep it that way."

"I am not leaving you." Marina restated leaving no room for negotiation.

"Then at least stay behind me." Jamie insisted.

As the room parted, the one in charge had a sadistic smile coming across his face when he saw Tony Stark dead center with his beautiful wife holding to his hand. "I'm sorry…did I crash your party?"

"That sounds like a good epitaph to me." Tony ground out. "You got a name I can put on the stone as well?"

"All in good time, Mr. Stark." He sneered. "You have made us wait twenty years. You can wait a few minutes. My show isn't over yet." He waved to the door and beckoned his subordinate to come in with Emma. As he dragged her forward, the leader noted that his subordinate was sporting a thoroughly bloody nose from his prize. The subordinate dropped Emma none too gently center stage and then the leader pulled her head back by her hair. "Looks like we caught ourselves a prize here."

Tony was furious when he saw Emma being held captive. He was a spilt second from going up there to grab her when Pepper stopped him. He looked back at her in shock.

"Tony, look around," Pepper whispered as she scanned the doors. Each one was guarded by at least two men with automatic weapons that obviously worked for the crasher. "You and she would be dead before you took two steps."

The leader smiled once more. "I don't think we got your attention fully yet. Your daughter is our pet now." He said as he pulled Emma up to her feet by her hair and forced her to look at him. "You know where you belong, don't you sweetheart?" he purred at her.

Emma forced herself not to scream as she was pulled up by her hair. Rage was keeping her going more than anything. "Yeah…at the trigger of something that will send you to hell." She spat.

"Insolent bitch." The leader said as he slapped her hand across the face. "Now dear, kneel for your master."

"I have no master so if you want someone on their knees you better go down yourself." Emma growled which earned her another slap.

"I told you to kneel."

"Never. A Stark kneels to no one!"

All the while this was going on; Tony's blood was boiling as he was forced to watch his daughter being tortured in front of him. He did have to be proud as she continued to fight him.

The subordinate handed the leader a larger weapon which was then pointed at Emma. "Kneel."

"You'll have to break my legs before I kneel before you." Emma spat back.

"As you wish," the leader said as he spun the gun and jammed the butt of it right into the back of Emma's knee, forcing her to the ground with a sickening sound.

When Emma screamed as she fell, five of the door guards came up behind Pepper with guns pointed at her head.

Pepper stopped breathing as she watched Emma fall and then felt a cold hand on her wrist, trying to pull her away from Tony.

Tony felt Pepper tense against him and his head spun around reflexively as he held on to her tighter.

"I would suggest not fighting, Stark or you will watch your daughter bleed all over the floor from two bullet wounds to the head." The leader said as he put his gun to Emma's head. "Step away from your wife and neither one will have their heads blown apart."

Tony felt his stomach come into his throat as he heard this. He had to give up Pepper and Emma without a fight? Like hell. He looked at Pepper with a silent look asking what he should do.

Pepper leaned in so she could whisper in his ear. "Let me go. It will protect Emma. We will need Iron Man to get us out of this." She whispered before kissing him and then let herself be pulled away from him.

The leader smiled. "Very good. I guess you are smart after all. Since you proved you have some intelligence in that so called genius head of yours, you can call me Jackson."

"What the hell is the point of this?" Tony growled.

"The point is very simple…revenge." Jackson stated. "My employers were short changed sometime ago and we still want our pound of flesh that we are entitled to and we will take it from wherever is necessary to cause you the most amount of pain possible."

As Jackson was spouting of his monologue, Tony looked over to Jamie since his hands were tied in this situation. "Can you get him?" he mouthed to his son.

"Too many people." Jamie mouthed back as he reached behind him to make sure Marina was still with him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jackson saw Jamie reach behind him and quickly squeezed off a few rounds. The bullets hit Jamie in the left thigh and brought him bleeding to the ground with an agonizing scream and his blood quickly soaking the fabric of his pants. "Seize him up and search him." Jackson ordered.

Two thugs came off the other door and hauled Jamie up off the floor harshly, throwing Marina to the floor as they did it. While one held Jamie's arms behind his back, the other patted him down and pulled out his wallet, his cell phone and a 9mm Beretta that was loaded. The thug put the gun in his belt, threw the phone to the floor and tossed the wallet to Jackson as he dragged Jamie forward.

Jackson smiled sadistically as he opened the wallet to see Jamie's driver's license. "Well, look at this. I must be getting sloppy because I missed the namesake here." He purred out as he eyed Jamie. "I am glad that this was remedied before we left. I would hate to have to do all of this again." Jackson signaled to the thugs he brought in with him. "I must say, this party has grown a little dull so I am going to take my new pets and start my own. It's been real." He said with a smirk as he snapped his fingers and the thugs dragged Pepper, Emma and Jamie out to three waiting black SUVs with no markings. No plates, no models, not even a brand emblem. Jackson dropped a smoke bomb behind him so no one could see which truck Pepper, Emma and Jamie were thrown into.

By the time Tony got to the door, the SUVs were speeding away in three different directions. He felt his stomach crawl into his throat as he was consumed by helplessness. He was forced to watch his family be taken from him by force and he could do nothing…but one thing. Tony snapped his cell phone out and called Happy.

"Come get me…now."

"Yes sir. What about the others?" Happy replied.

"Come back for them."

Marina had tears stinging her eyes that she refused to let fall as she watched the aftermath. The police were taking statements as she saw Tony leave rather quickly. When the police approached her about interviewing Tony, she quickly replied that she would schedule an appropriate time when that could be done but for the most part she could answer any questions they had. After taking the detective's card, she started to scan the room for David. Marina knew that he had gone off with Emma but Emma came back as a captive so where was he?

Marina's blood ran cold as she climbed the stairs she had seen them climb earlier. What could she do if David was dead? When she reached the roof, a small blue light caught her attention some ten paces from the door. As she got closer she could recognize that it was a cell phone…Emma's cell phone with six digits dialed. Marina knelt down to pick it up and Emma's black silk and lace purse and as she was getting up, she tripped over something.

Marina quickly righted herself as she looked to see what she tripped over and gasped when she saw David. She gently rolled him over to find that he was still conscious and losing a lot of blood from a shoulder wound. "David?" she called to him to get him to open his eyes. "Don't worry…we'll get help. Just stay with me." She said, trying to keep him awake as she called for an ambulance.


	35. Chapter 35

Deep in the Nevada desert in a ghost town called Rhyolite, Pepper, Emma and Jamie were tied up in the old railroad station. On one end of the room, Pepper and Emma were seated on rickety chairs tied back to back. Emma's knee had turned a deep shade of black purple from where she had been hit with the butt of the rifle and her cheek was equally as dark from where they had slapped her. Pepper was considerable better off since she only suffered some minor bruising from where they had been thrown and a small split in her lip. Jamie was on the floor on the other side of the room, tied to another post. He kept fading in and out of consciousness due to the amount of blood he had lost from the wound in his leg. The blood had dried and clotted with the leg of his pants and the black eye he had received had swollen his left eye shut.

As long as they didn't struggle too much, the kidnappers largely left the three of them alone. There were small slits in the windows to allow some light in so they could tell that at least when a day had passed but there wasn't much more after that.

* * *

As soon as James Rhodes heard what had happened at the benefit, first from the classified report that one Captain James Stark, USAF was kidnapped and then on the eleven o'clock news, he floored his truck from Edwards to Tony's mansion. He knew exactly what his best friend was going to do and he had to stop him before he did something incredibly stupid.

Rhodey pulled up into the driveway and was practically out of the vehicle before it was totally parked. Jarvis was kind enough to open the door for him since he was in enough of a rush to not bother with trivial things like opening doors.

"Tony!" he called out at the top of his lungs as he instinctually headed down to the garage.

No sooner he got within view of the doors, Rhodey saw the robots already suiting Tony up as Iron Man.

"Tony! You have to stop." Rhodey shouted at the top of his lungs to get his friend's attention.

"Why in hell would I do that?" Tony snapped back. "They took my family and I am going to get them back."

"Not like this you're not." Rhodey countered.

"It has worked before." Tony responded.

"But that was with disorganized animals," Rhodey insisted. "That is one thing these people were not. I have seen the security tapes, Tony, and I am telling you these people had a plan. They knew when and how to hit. They used unmarked SUVs that looked like Suburbans but no one is really sure and they used several so you don't know who went where. You don't even know where they are. Now, if you go in there half cocked and guns blazing, not only will you get hurt but so will they. We have to have a plan of attack this time. Ready, fire, aim will not cut it."

Tony fell silent for a moment and then gave Jarvis a small signal to reverse the robots to remove his armor. "I don't do anything half cocked." He protested.

"I know and that is the problem." Rhodey said as he ushered Tony to the couch once he was free of the suit. "I know you hate this but you will need to listen to me this time." He reasoned with his friend.

"Sir? I am sorry to interrupt but Mr. Roosevelt and Ms. Sebastiano have returned." Jarvis interjected.

"Lock the garage down and tint the windows. I don't want them down here now." Tony snapped.

"Of course sir." Jarvis replied smoothly as he quickly followed his master's orders.

Rhodey put a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I'll go talk to them. Promise me you're not going anywhere."

"I promise I am not going anywhere." Tony said flatly as he leaned back against the couch in despair.

Since he said he promised, Rhodey trusted Tony to keep his word and he headed upstairs to greet David and Marina.

Marina was helping David to the couch with his newly slinged arm and setting Emma's purse and phone on the table as Rhodey ascended from the garage.

"General Rhodes, this is a surprise." Marina exclaimed as she greeted him and David offered his hand to shake. "How did you get here? There is so much press out there. They just swarmed the grounds as soon as things broke."

"I didn't think they would get here so quick." Rhodey sighed. "I guess I am going to need to make a statement about the situation."

"With all due respect, General, I would like to make the statement." David spoke up. "I have plenty of experience with press conferences and I am fully capable of taking care of this."

Rhodey was a little surprised but inwardly relieved because that freed him up to keep Tony grounded. "That would be greatly appreciated, David. Keep it short and not too many details since this both a civilian and military matter."

"I have liasoned with the JAG before so I think I can manage it. Just give me a few minutes to prepare a statement and we'll be in business." David said as he got up from the couch and grabbed a piece of paper with his free hand to start mapping things out.

"Is there anything I can do, General Rhodes?" Marina asked.

"Clear Tony's schedule and keep the coffee coming. We will need it." Rhodey said as he turned for the garage.

Marina nodded and quickly pulled up Pepper's laptop and a cell phone to start clearing out the next few days.

When Rhodey came back down into the garage, Jarvis allowed him to enter but had not prepared him for what he would see. Tony was still sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. When he looked up at Rhodey, there was no hiding his bloodshot pained eyes before he turned away.

"Don't you dare do this." Rhodey told him.

"Do what?" Tony said thickly as he sniffed.

"Blame yourself for all of this. This is not your fault."

"I am not blaming myself." Tony lied.

"Yes you are because I know that look. I had the same look when I lost you." Rhodey stated. "We will get them back."

"Sir? I believe you should see this." Jarvis said as he turned on the television. As the screen brightened, an image of David in a dark suit just outside of the mansion came into focus.

"What is he doing?" Tony asked as he turned up the volume.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Stark family, I have a statement to read and I will be taking no questions at this time. Due to the tragic events that occurred this evening, the Stark family is cooperating fully and working diligently with the police, FBI and military police to quickly resolve this situation and bring this to a safe resolution. Out of respect and consideration, the family would appreciate some privacy in light of the dire circumstances. Any further inquiries should be directed to the Stark Industries Public Relations department. Thank you." David said in a cool, calm and refined manner.

Just as he was stepping off the podium, a voice called out a question.

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" Christine Everheart called out. "Isn't this just some blatant cover up for another Iron Man cover story?"

David turned around like he wasn't fazed by the irritating blond at all. "You may believe what you want, miss, but if any false or derogatory statements are printed, I assure you that you will find yourself faced with the biggest lawsuit that you have ever seen. Mark my words that both Stark Industries and the family will collect damages of unimaginable amounts. Now, excuse me and good night." He finished before walking back into the house.

Tony clicked off the TV and was actually speechless for a moment. The statement David had produced was impressive and Tony now truly understood what Emma saw in this tall, lanky, shy and seemingly nerdy guy.

By the time the sun had filled the living room on the second day; three laptops had been set up in the living room with various cell phones, monitoring all possible situations. David had everything from PR routed to him to sort through. Marina was keeping tabs on the dailies and damage control. Rhodey had the military control center routed through his with a little help from Jarvis since he knew if he left, Tony would be off doing something stupid really quickly.

While mission control had taken over upstairs, an overly tired and excessively caffeinated Tony had spent the combined total of three hours on the phone with LAPD, the FBI and the MPs giving his recounts and getting more and more aggravated with their idiocy and lack of progress. Why hadn't there been a ransom request? Why hadn't Jamie's homing beacon been activated? Were they all together or separated? Why did Rhodey have to watch over him like he was going to break or go off on a hunt for blood? All of these questions were driving Tony closer to his breaking point. He silently kept eying a small locked drawer in his desk with only one thing inside of it…a key…the key to his liquor cabinet that he had locked years ago.

Tony got up from his couch and tried to push that thought out of his head as he walked over to his armor. He seemed to be methodically examining it to make sure it was ready for a moments notice.

"The suit is running at optimum capability, sir." Jarvis interjected. "You have made sure of that."

"I know but this is more important than usual." Tony replied as he walked away from the armor and sat down in front of his hot rod. "Put the music on, Jarvis…hard and loud." He requested as he started to work on the engine. As heavy metal and hard rock started to blast through the sound system, an unwritten but clearly understood rule was enacted. Unless it was a matter of life or death or something needed Tony's attention immediately, or you were Pepper, do not disturb.

As the sun moved across the cracks in the ceiling, a harsh cough came from Jamie as his skin was pale and glistened with sweat.

* * *

"Mom?" he rasped out.

"What is it, Jamie?" Pepper called back with concern as she heard the harshness of her son's unused voice.

"When is Dad getting here?"

"I couldn't tell you." Pepper said sadly.

"You mean…you haven't called him?" Jamie asked incredulously.

"How can we?" Pepper sighed.

"My reactor…" Jamie said as he slipped into unconsciousness again.

"His reactor?" Pepper asked Emma.

"I can't believe I forgot about that," Emma scolded herself.

"Forgot about what?" Pepper asked with a little more force.

"The homing beacon on the back of his reactor. Dad put it on there as another safety precaution since he knows how big you are on them." Emma stated. "I can turn it on if they would just untie us for a few moments."

"How long do you need?" Pepper asked as she started to come up with a plan to get them out of here.

* * *

In the course of triaging emails and phone messages and sorting through a literal two tons of questions from PR, not one of the three brains up in the living room had noticed that it was past seven o'clock and no one had eaten a thing since the night before until Rhodey's stomach let out a very loud and uncharacteristically rude growl. To his credit, he tried to blame David for it.

"I guess I can whip up something." Marina said as she got up from the couch and started perusing the pantry and fridge. "Does Mr. Stark like Italian food?"

"It's his favorite." Rhodey replied.

"Well, that answers where Jamie got it from." Marina commented. "Think he would be hungry?"

Rhodey thought about it for a moment. "Hungry…yes. Able to eat…to be determined." He stated. "And I wish you luck on your mission if you would like to try."

"I accept this challenge and I strive to prove you wrong." Marina stated as she attacked the kitchen.

Not more than a half an hour later as David and Rhodey were already tucking into the food she had made, Marina was descending into the garage with a full plate of chicken, penne and veggies sautéed in marinara sauce and a bottle of soda to try to tempt Tony into eating.

Some time ago, Tony had allowed Jarvis to unlock the door since he had regained a bit of his self-control. He was so absorbed in rebuilding the engine of the hot rod that he never even noticed that Marina had turned his music down when she silently entered. He may not have noticed her at all except the downright sinfully delicious smell of what she was carrying hit his nose and made his hunger more apparent than Rhodey's was.

"I figured you would be hungry." Marina said sweetly as she handed the plate to Tony. "General Rhodes didn't want me to disturb you but Mrs. Stark would kill me personally if I let you go to hell in a hand basket because she wasn't here."

"Rhodey is just looking out for me," Tony said in between bites as he damn near attacked the pasta in front of him. "And if you're bringing me stuff this good, I give you permission to tell him to go to hell."

Marina smiled at the compliment. "I thought you would like that. Jamie devours it three plates at a time." She said as a little sadness slipped into her voice when she thought about Jamie.

"Jamie is a fighter…hell all three of them are." Tony stated, trying to reassure her. "They will not go down quietly and if I have anything to say about it, we are getting to them before they go down at all."

Marina smiled weakly at his words as she looked up at Tony. "I know that. I have already seen that. I just want to keep the 'what ifs' out of my head and it isn't always easy."

Tony set his empty plate down on his desk and rubbed his eyes tiredly. It was no secret that he was physically and mentally exhausted by this but he was forcing himself awake by staying active so they could leave as soon as they knew.

"Mr. Stark, why don't you go upstairs for a little while and rest?" Marina suggested.

"There isn't time for that." Tony replied quickly as he forced himself back to work.

"I am not saying sleep even though that would do you a world of good right now." Marina corrected. "I am just suggesting walking away from all of this, take a hot shower or soak in your hot tub and let your body relax. You're pushing too hard. I have seen Jamie do this until he nearly collapses. How can you be there for them if you are in this state?"

Tony thought about it for a moment. She did have a point…just like Pepper. "Let me just finish up what I was working on…" Tony conceded.

"Very well, Mr. Stark." Marina answered with a smile as she picked up his plate and headed back upstairs.

Not more than fifteen minutes later, while Marina was cleaning up the dishes and David and Rhodey were discussing the finer points which had the better food – New York or Philadelphia, Tony quietly slipped through the living room and headed upstairs. His soft footsteps were quickly followed by the sound of a closing door and the shower being turned on.

Marina smiled to herself as she loaded the dishwasher but did not start it just yet. "Jarvis? Please let me know if Mr. Stark actually gets some sleep."

"Of course, Ms. Sebastiano."

Rhodey caught was Jarvis had said and turned to Marina with a look of shock on his face. "How the hell did you manage to do that?"

"I appealed to reason. I put it into his head that he can't help his family if he's unconscious." Marina said. "Mrs. Stark told me that trick."

"I guess you finally got over on his iron determination," David stated which received a sharp look from Rhodey. "I would have to say that even heroism has its limits to how much a body can take."

Rhodey eyed David up and down at his choice of words and then looked at his computer screen and braced himself. The old cat was out of the bag again.

* * *

It was well past nightfall when Pepper started to put the wheels in motion to get them out of this hell hole. In the two days that they had been held captive, they were only released to use the bathroom which was barely more than an outhouse but it would give a few precious moments of freedom for them to act. Pepper asked to be allowed to use the 'facilities' when one of the goons came in before they vanished for the night. The thug untied her from Emma and roughly forced her out of the room.

Once Emma heard the coast was clear, she limped over to Jamie's semi-conscious form. She expertly undid the arc reactor and flipped the switch on the back and then replaced it and limped back to the chair before anyone came back, sealing their rescue.

* * *

By the early darkened hours of the morning, the mansion had finally fallen silent. Rhodey and David had both crashed in the armchairs that they had been sitting in while Marina had stretched out on the couch. The only thing that had showed a sign of life was a small blinking blue dot on a screen that had popped up on Rhodey's computer. The blinking and beeping was enough to wake Marina out of the light sleep she had fallen into. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the small dot and soon her heart flew into her throat.

"General! Wake up! I think there is something you should see." Marina called, startling Rhodey awake.

He stumbled out of the chair to look at the screen. He saw the blinking blue dot in a place called Rhyolite, Nevada. "We've got them." He whispered before running up the stairs to get Tony.

As Rhodey bolted up the stairs, the lights came on and David awoke to find people a great deal happier. "I am guessing we have a positive development."

"We found them. They're in Nevada." Marina screamed as Tony came flying down the stairs in a t-shirt and sweats.

A huge smile lit up Tony's face when he saw that blue dot. He knew exactly what it was…the beacon on Jamie's reactor…which Emma had to turn on…so Pepper had to provide interference. All three were together. He quickly grabbed the keys to Jamie's Viper and threw them to Marina.

"You two meet us there. Take two cars and wait at the airport. If any immediate medical treatment is necessary, take them to Desert Springs Hospital in Vegas. After that, it's back to California. Questions? No? Good." Tony rattled off quickly as he ordered Jarvis to lock down the house after they had left and he and Rhodey started for the garage, followed by Marina and David.

Just as the robots were starting to put the armor on Iron Man and War Machine on their respective human components, David and Marina got the whole truth.

"Well, I figured the Iron Man connection but not the War Machine one," David said as he jumped into his Escalade and roared out of the garage.

"Now this definitely explains Jamie's version. I thought his was an original." Marina commented with a bit of awe as she unlocked Jamie's Viper.

"This is the original." Tony said with a smirk as he took off, followed quickly by Rhodey. Marina peeled out as soon as Iron Man and War Machine were just two lights in the sky heading east.

As Iron Man and War Machine closed in on the ghost town, Jarvis started to use infrared scanning to find out which building they were being held in.

"Sir, all three are in the railroad station with seemingly heavy reinforcements."

"Heavy reinforcements? I laugh. Looks like some real ghosts will be joining this town." Tony said sarcastically. "Plan of attack, Rhodey?"

"I recommend a snatch and grab. We get Pepper and the twins and deal with any resistance afterwards." Rhodey stated. "Let's not stir the hornets' nest if we don't have to."

"How do you plan on getting in without stirring the nest as you put it?" Tony chimed back.

"Well, Pepper told me you like making skylights…"

Tony laughed at the jab at his early landing attempts. "And that skylight looks great in my living room." He shot back as he used the flight stabilizers and blew a hole in the ceiling just far enough away from Pepper and the twins.

As the dust cleared, Tony and Rhodey could see what condition they were in. Rhodey went over to free Jamie while Tony took care of Pepper and Emma.

"What took you so long?" Pepper teased as she hugged her metal encased husband.

"Jarvis got lost." Tony shot back as he broke through the ropes, realizing a problem. "We have an issue."

As soon as the words left Tony's mouth, Rhodey understood the issue. "Three rescuees and two rescuers?"

"Exactly," Tony agreed. He knew Jamie was in no condition to go on his own and Pepper had no way to. Tony regretfully looked at Emma. "Do you think you could handle your glider on your own?" he asked tentatively.

Emma thought about it, looked down at her blackened knee and then back at her father, nodding. "I think so. I just need to tape or brace my knee up and I can do it."

"Jarvis, send Emma's glider. What's the ETA?" Tony told his AI.

"Three minutes, sir."

"Thanks," Tony replied as he scanned the very sparse room. "So much for tape."

"I have an idea. I just need someone to hold me up." Emma stated as she leaned against Tony. Taking up the bottom of her dress, she ripped off a strip about three inches wide and long enough to go around her knee several times. She quickly wrapped it around as tight at it would go to stabilize her damaged knee, finishing just as her glider floated beside her. Emma winked at Tony as she popped up a few of her bombs, one smoke bomb and one gas bomb, from the board. "It will help to cover out exit."

"I am beginning to feel a little out brained here," Tony laughed as he gave Rhodey the signal to take Jamie out. "Emma, toss them and then go. We'll follow behind." He told her as he gathered Pepper close to him.

"Gotcha," Emma stated as she pressed the buttons on the bombs and then tossed them into the other room and took off for the skies with Tony on her tail as the room below filled with noxious fumes.

It was a short trip to the airport where Marina and David were waiting. No sooner all three had landed, Tony ordered Jamie into the Viper.

"David, take the keys from Marina and get him to the ER as fast as that thing can go." Tony called out to him as Pepper started to get to work on getting him out of his armor while Emma and Marina started on Rhodey.

"No worries. I'll meet you there," David called back as he jumped in the Viper and hit the gas.

"You had better be damn careful with my car, Roosevelt, or I will seriously dislodge your head from the rest of your body," Jamie in a weak but rough edged voice.

"How did you know this was your car without even opening your eyes?" David countered as the car was easily pushing eighty.

"I know the roar of an engine that I helped to upgrade. There's enough of my blood in this car to practically make it a relative."

* * *

Three days later, a sense of peaceful normalcy had returned to Malibu. Emma, with her knee propped up with several pillows and alternating heat and ice to soothe after physical therapy, had set herself up on the living room couch with a movie marathon of _Moulin Rouge_, _A Life Less Ordinary_, _Strictly Ballroom_, and _Across the Universe_. She called these flicks fabulous glimpses into a director's twisted mind. Jamie, trying to be macho, attempted to ditch his crutches as frequently as possible despite the large amounts of medication he was on for the infection he had acquired. He found ways around this by using the wheeled office chair in the garage to glide around his car and his armor to keep his hands busy. Both of them hadn't seen much of their parents since Pepper decided Tony needed a proper hero's thank you and neither Emma nor Jamie really wanted to deal with it.

When Tony and Pepper finally did decide to emerge from upstairs, Emma had to do her level best not to comment when they turned on the affection in public. It lasted all of thirty seconds.

"You two aren't tired yet? Rabbits can't go that long." Emma said with a laugh.

"I make rabbits jealous." Tony laughed in between each time he captured Pepper's lips.

"Ack…I did not need to hear that, Dad. Get a room or something."

"Good idea…we want this one…get out." Tony said.

"Ha ha…very funny." Emma deadpanned.

"I know. It was, wasn't it?" Tony said with a smile at first. "But I am serious. We don't want an audience."

"Oh really…make your daughter who is on crutches move. Nice one, Dad." Emma said sarcastically as she pulled herself to her feet with her crutches. "But if you have to be like this, Jarvis can set my movies up in the garage. I am sure Dummy and Butterfingers won't kick me out."

"Be careful with Dummy. He gets trigger happy." Tony laughed as Emma was actually taking him seriously.

"Mom! I can't believe you are letting him do this." Emma exclaimed.

"I'm not but he's running on endorphins and adrenaline so at the moment I am letting him run his course and then do damage control." Pepper laughed as Tony kissed her again.

"Well I hope damage control includes me because I will get you for this, Dad." Emma called as she stepped into the elevator. "Maybe I'll take the Audi out for a spin." She said as the door closed.

That snapped Tony back to reality. No one took his car. "Emma! Let's renegotiate…" he called out as he ran down the stairs after her.


	36. Chapter 36

So much can change in just ninety-six hours. Ninety-six hours ago, James Stark was up at the International Space Station doing an external repair on one of the solar panels when two seconds that he never realized happened changed his life. Now, as he walked out of Edwards AFB with his flight gear shoved in his backpack and the jacket, hat and tie from his uniform, Jamie wanted nothing more than to make the pain of having your one and only dream killed go away as fast as possible.

Jamie walked much slower than usual towards Happy Hogan and the awaiting limo. He was normally ecstatic to be in California but not right now. "Take me home, Hogan," he snapped angrily as he got into the back seat.

"Everyone else is still at Stark Industries. They're usually rather excited to see you." Happy commented.

"And that is the exact damn reason why I want to go to the mansion. Now drive." Jamie ground out as his elbow banged against what sounded like a hollow compartment in the door as Happy started the engine and drove off. He popped the compartment open and found a full bottle of vodka inside and he laughed to himself. "Just the right medicine…thank you Dad's old bad habits," he thought to himself as he unscrewed the cap and took a long swig straight from the bottle.

When Happy pulled up to the mansion, Jamie quickly tucked the bottle inside his backpack but it did not go unnoticed by Happy. Jamie quickly dismissed him and secluded himself inside the mansion where he could drown his misery with little disturbance for several more hours.

Jamie dropped his bags by the front door as soon as he was inside and headed right for the workshop. Despite the fact that his father had stopped drinking years ago, the liquor cabinet was still fully stocked and hidden behind one of the walls and just asking to be raided. Once inside, Jamie went straight for Tony's locked desk drawer. He gave it a sharp pull to see how strong the lock was before picking up a flathead screwdriver.

"Sir, I would recommend not doing that," Jarvis interjected.

"Sod off, Jarvis." Jamie snapped back.

"Sir, this is not in your best interest."

"Jarvis, if I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it now shut up!" Jamie roared as he fiddled with the screwdriver and the drawer.

"Master James, there is another solution…."

"Jarvis, one more word out of you and I will reprogram you so harshly that not even Dad will figure out what I did to your millions of lines of code now leave me the hell alone!" Jamie growled as he gave the drawer one last hard shove and it popped open to reveal the key.

He grabbed it and went over to the panel between the sink and the fridge, unlocked it and another bottle of Stoli to set his course for oblivion.

* * *

After Jamie had left, Rhodey sat at his desk for a few moments trying to find the right words to express what had just happened. He knew he had to call Tony to give him a heads up on what just happened because allowing his best friend to walk into a ticking time bomb is not something he would do. For Rhodey, this ranked right up there in the top three worst phone calls he has ever had to make.

He sighed deeply and then dialed Stark Industries.

"Stark Industries International, how may I direct your call?"

"Anthony Stark, please."

"May I ask who is calling?"

"General James Rhodes, USAF."

"One moment and I will patch you through."

Rhodey waited patiently as he was patched through to Marina. As soon as he said who it was, she connected him right to Tony instead of going through Pepper.

"Hey man…nice to hear from you. Breaks up the monotony of my day." Tony said very cheerfully.

"I wish this was a social call," Rhodey said gravely.

Tony's tone instantly shifted. "What's wrong?" he asked with serious concern.

"It's about Jamie…"

"What happened?" Tony asked frantically, cutting Rhodey off.

"As you well know, NASA always monitors every function of an astronaut in when they are in space. With Jamie, they pay particular attention to his heart. Four days ago, he was working on the exterior of the International Space Station and his pacemaker kicked on to regulate his heartbeat and this lit up NASA like Times Square on New Year's. They instantly recalled him without any explanation and then sent him to me. NASA, in their infinite wisdom, gave me the honor of giving Jamie an honorable medical discharge since he's Air Force and I am his commanding officer. NASA said they would give him a spot on the civilian ground crew at Mission Control but that did not sit well with him."

Tony fell silent on the other end of the line as he sank back into his chair letting what he just heard filter into his head. His son was alive but his one dream was dead.

"Tony, I swear I didn't want to do it. It nearly killed me to see the look on his face as I told him. When he left here, I could feel the pain coming off of him in waves and it scares the hell out of me what he may do. Jamie has a lot of you in him."

"I know and that is what scares me. Thanks for the heads up." Tony said as he hung up the phone.

No sooner the phone had been put down, it rang again.

"Boss, I know you don't want to be disturbed but this is important."

"What is it, Happy?" Tony asked as concern was flooding the back of his brain.

"It's your son," Happy started. "I brought him back from Edwards and even though he tried to hide it, I saw him with a bottle of vodka that he had half emptied down his throat."

"Is he still at the mansion?" Tony asked.

"As far as I know of."

"I'm on my way," Tony said as he hung up and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "Pepper, transfer all my appointments to Emma."

"What is going on with Jamie?" Pepper asked with deep concern as she quickly forwarded Tony's entire schedule to Marina for Emma to take over as his second in command.

"Long and short of it is that he is trying to drown his discharge from NASA and the Air Force in vodka and I'm going home to try to stop him before he kills himself." Tony said as he was grabbing his keys.

"I'm going with you." Pepper added, leaving no room for refusal or negotiation.

With the speed that Tony was driving back to Malibu, a cop wouldn't have been able to even try to catch him to give him a ticket if they wanted to. For Tony and Pepper, this was life or death. They could not let their son follow the path to hell.

No sooner Tony was in the door, he was trying to get a hold of the situation. "Jarvis! I want a location on Jamie now." He barked out as he shrugged his jacket off and threw it and his tie on the couch.

"Master James is in the workshop, sir, and he's broken into the liquor cabinet." Jarvis dutifully responded.

Tony swore harshly under his breath. "Jarvis, lock down his suit. He's not going anywhere in it until I say so." He commanded as he and Pepper headed down the stairs to face down Jamie.

Walking down the stairs, Tony and Pepper peered in silently first so they could try to assess the situation. They saw Jamie with a half full bottle of vodka in his hand and a nearly empty one next to him on Tony's desk. In between long gulps from the bottle, Jamie was staring at the picture of his father and grandfather on his father's desk.

Tony motioned for Pepper to stay back for the moment to be safe just in case something goes wrong before he opened the door to the workshop.

"Jamie?" Tony said calmly, knowing that his son was angry and in pain and not really wanting to se him off. "Rhodey told me what happened. I am so sorry."

"Sorry about what?" Jamie asked bitterly as he took another long swallow from the bottle. "Sorry that your son isn't perfect anymore or sorry that something you made to save his life ended it in the same freaking breath."

"Excuse me for not wanting to bury you at thirteen." Tony snapped back, regretting the harshness in his voice. "How about putting the bottle down so we can talk about this?"

"Talk isn't going to solve anything," Jamie ground out. "So leave me the hell alone."

"Drowning your pain in vodka isn't going to help much either. It only opens a whole other host of problems." Tony stated as he got closer to Jamie.

Jamie finally turned around as he took another long swig from the bottle right in front of Tony. "Seemed to work well enough for you for so many years. Like father, like son, right? Tell me Dad, how drunk was Grandfather when he drove the car off the road and down the cliff side."

That hit a cord with Tony and Jamie knew it. "Jamie, give me the bottle." Tony said with a cold harshness.

"Not a chance in hell." Jamie spat back as brought the bottle down to less than a quarter full.

"James," Tony started as he got closer and started to reach for the bottle in Jamie's hand. "Give me the bottle now."

Rage was burning in Jamie's eyes as Tony was confronting him. "You want it so badly…go fetch it," he ground out as he reeled back and pitched the bottle through the glass wall, shattering it not five feet from where Pepper was standing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Tony roared as he grabbed a hold of Jamie's shoulders. "You could have hurt your mother."

"What the hell are you gonna do about it?" Jamie spat as he struggled to break free of his father's iron grip.

"Jamie, don't force my hand with this." Tony warned as he continued his stronghold on Jamie trying to overpower him. "James…this is not you talking."

"If this is not me talking…then leave me the hell alone. Otherwise…bring it on." Jamie spat, looking for a fight right now to release all the rage and anger building inside of him as he tried to push his father back with all is weight behind it to grab the other bottle on the desk.

Tony felt Jamie try to turn away from him and he used all his strength to pull his son who had him by two inches in height and ten pounds of muscle to force him to look him in the eye.

Jamie felt his father's resistance and he reeled against it. As Tony forced him to turn towards him, Jamie balled up his fist and took a hard swing at Tony's head but missed since two bottles of vodka will mess up your coordination pretty well.

When Tony saw the fist coming at his head, his brain shut off and instinct took over. He ducked and then swung back, landing a hard fist into Jamie's jaw and knocked him to the floor.

Jamie was stunned when he hit the floor. His father had actually hit him. That realization didn't last very long as he got up and charged head first into Tony, slamming his shoulder into his father's stomach and knocking him off his feet for a few moments until he took a fighting stance that he remembered from all his years of karate and basic training.

After having been knocked into his workbench, Tony got back up, wiped the blood off his mouth and stared down his son. This was going to get ugly. Tony charged Jamie to try to knock him off balance but Jamie swept his feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. When he got up again, Tony knew he was going to have to play dirty no matter how much he loathed doing it to his own son.

Tony charged once more and landed a hard punch to the stomach and then pulled Jamie's arm behind him to try to immobilize him.

Jamie struggled enough to get his arm free enough to land an elbow in Tony's stomach and then a quick punch to the nose.

This was no longer a battle between father and son. It was blind instinct now and neither one really recognized the other and they could quite possibly kill each other. Tony got a hold of Jamie one more time but Jamie stepped back and flipped Tony over top of him to break free. Once Tony stood up again, Jamie stood toe to toe to him and started to chop him down with hard oscillating abrupt punches that were clearly taking him down.

Pepper could not watch this any longer. Tony and Jamie were going to kill each other if she didn't do something.

Jamie landed one more hard punch which sent Tony to the floor once more and Pepper came in behind him as Jamie stumbled back.

"Jamie! Stop this!" she screamed as she cradled Tony against her. She can feel him trying to get up once more and in addition to comfort, Pepper is trying to keep the fight from continuing. By this time Tony had a split lip, gushing bloody nose and too many scrapes and bruises to count. Jamie wasn't much better with a bruised jaw, black eye and several cuts along his hair line that were bleeding freely as well as on his arms. Both of them were exhausted beyond recognition.

Jamie caught himself against Tony's desk as Pepper stepped in and that charge of gunpowder that was inside of him seemed to have abated for the moment as reality set back in and he saw what he had done to his father. This was almost too much to bear as he grabbed his keys and started for his car.

"Jamie! Please don't leave like this. We can help you. We are here for you" Pepper cried out as she saw Jamie leaving.

"The only way you can help me right now is to leave me alone," Jamie growled before getting into his Viper and roaring out of the garage.

Emma knew something was wrong when her father had suddenly dropped his schedule in her lap without any warning. She wrapped up all the meetings that he had thrown at her and then offered Marina a ride back to the mansion.

Just as she turned on to the road that lead to the mansion, Emma saw Jamie's Viper going roaring past her with Jamie looking like he just had the shit kicked out of him driving. She quickly turned her Corvette around and hit the gas.

"Marina, hit speed dial three and put it on speaker. I need some advantage if I am going to catch Jamie." Emma said.

Marina did as Emma said and then set the phone between them. It rang once.

"How may I be of service, Miss Emma?" Jarvis answered.

"Jarvis, Jamie is in the Viper. Does it have GPS tracking on it?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"I need a location on him and intended direction ASAP."

"Certainly," Jarvis stated before a brief pause. "He is currently heading towards the canyon. Would you like me to keep tracking him?"

"Yes and alert me to any quick changes." Emma stated.

"What are you planning on doing?" Marina asked cautiously.

"Saving my brother from himself," Emma answered as she sped up. "And I will need your help. Hang on tight because what I am about to do is going to scare the hell out of you."

Emma had an idea, a dangerous one but an idea none the less. She had to get in front of Jamie if she wanted any chance. Both she and her brother had certain places they liked to go to clear their heads. Jamie usually headed to a beach while Emma would choose a place that was less crowded, like the mountains. Emma had a good guess that Jamie was heading for Manhattan Beach and she had to get there first. She knew Jamie would take the coastal route so she cut over to the 90 to get there first.

At this time of night, the coastal road was largely deserted. As soon as she saw the trademark headlights of a Viper coming down the road, she floored the gas pedal and drove right into the road so she would block it and force him to stop or kill her.

Jamie was easily driving near sixty when he saw a red corvette pull directly out into the road in front of him. He slammed on his brakes hard and swerved to the right before he came to a full stop and he saw who was leaning against the side of the car and who was behind it.

"Have you lost your goddamned mind?!" Jamie roared. "I could have killed you."

"Get in the car." Emma said coldly as Marina stepped out of the car.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Did Mom send you?" Jamie snapped.

Emma ran over to his Viper and pulled the keys from the ignition and tossed them to Marina. "Marina, take the Viper back to the mansion." She told her before turned back to Jamie, showing that she had no fear of him. "Get in the car, James, or I will make you."

"Dad already tried this shit with me. Do I have to kick your ass too?" Jamie said smugly as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Emma said nothing but made one small click on her car remote and one of her concussive bombs popped into her hand. "Get into the damn car now on your will or mine." Emma said coldly as she held her finger over the ignition button and waved off Marina to force Jamie's hand even more.

Jamie watched Marina speed off with his car and then he turned back to his sister and weighed his options. Given the fact that he was drunk, in a hell of a lot of pain and probably had a few injuries that should see medical attention, Jamie was not about to tangle with Emma like this and he slid into the passenger side of her Corvette.

Once he was inside, Emma got in and locked the doors and started to drive. She didn't say a word about where they were going and just let Jamie brood in silence about what was happening.

Emma drove up to Topanga State Park and parked on one of the cliffs that had a great view of the cities below. She turned off the car and walked around to open the door for her brother.

"Look down there and tell me what you see." Emma said as she pulled him out of the car and towards the edge of the bluff.

Jamie rolled his eyes and sighed as he looked down at what Emma was pointing at. "I see Stark Industries." He stated flatly.

"Look beyond the damn building. Tell me what you see." Emma insisted.

Jamie looked again. "What? The hangar? The parking lot?"

Emma resisted the urge to slap her brother upside the head. "All you see is the buildings and concrete but you don't see the whole damn picture. Yes that is Stark Industries but in reality it is the Empire that our father built for us that he inherited from his father. Whether you like it or not, we are a part of this. I chose to be a part of it freely but you keep running from it. I know damn well that Dad offered you a job there quite some time ago. Why do you keep hurting him by refusing it?"

"I had my own path to follow. I had a dream." Jamie stated angrily.

"And did he stop you from following that dream?" Emma came back. "No. In fact, he did everything in his power to make sure you got it including calling the head of NASA and the Secretary of Defense himself."

"What in hell are you getting at?"

"You forget where Dad came from. He had his own dreams at one time but had to give those up when our grandparents died. He only wants the best for us and he would never have offered you the job if he didn't think you would love it. I found out what happened and I'm sorry but you have to move on. Stop denying who you are and face it." Emma stated plainly.

"What do you mean I am hurting Dad by not working for the company?" Jamie asked as things were starting to set in.

Emma sighed. She really didn't want to have to say this because she felt it betrayed her father's privacy but Jamie had to know. "Dad never really wanted to head the company. He was very happy working in R & D. Maybe if Grandpa had been around longer, Dad may have warmed up to the idea but that didn't happen. He was forced into it and he did the best he could and I think Grandpa would have been proud of him. Dad has a lot of pride in this company and he wants to share it with us. There has been an office set aside for you since the day he hired me and Mom and I see the pain in his eyes every time he walks by it. He never says it out loud but we see it. He's hurt because he feels that his son wants nothing to do with something he prided himself in."

Everything Emma said sunk in and hit Jamie hard and he realized what he needed to do. "I need your help with something," he said quietly.

"Anything…"

"Can you get the jet for me? I need to go back to Florida to get my things."

Emma nodded. "It will take me a little bit to arrange but I can get it. I think you do need to tell Mom and Dad though."

"That is going to be the hard part." Jamie sighed as he got back into his sister's car to go back to the mansion.

When they got back to the mansion, Marina was sitting alone in the living room with a cup of tea, which she promptly set down when she saw Jamie and Emma ascend from the garage. She ran over to embrace Jamie while Emma went into their mother's office to start arranging the jet.

"Where are my parents?" Jamie asked as he kissed Marina gently.

"Your Mom is upstairs with your Dad at the moment. What did you do to him? I mean I have seen him look pretty banged up but this was indescribable." Marina stated.

A pang of guilt ran through Jamie's stomach and it made him nauseous. It only got worse when he saw his mother standing at the top of the stairs.

"Mom…I…I…" Jamie stuttered as Pepper came down the stairs. He couldn't look at her because of how much shame was visible in his eyes. "I am so sorry…"

Pepper didn't say anything at first. She pulled Jamie into a tight hug and held him tight. "I am not the one you need to apologize to," Pepper said as she let go a bit so she could look in her son's eyes. "You really need to talk to your father."

Jamie's eyes welled up when he thought about what Emma and Marina had said. "Mom…I can't right now….I mean…I just need some time…" he said, stumbling over every word.

Pepper put a finger to Jamie's lips hushing him. "He's sleeping anyway. You ran him through the ringer but you will have to and soon to make peace with him."

"I will…I promise." Jamie said softly. "I just need to go back to Florida first to get my things. Marina's coming with me. Emma's getting the jet ready for me."

"I understand," Pepper said as she pulled Jamie into a hug again. "Remember, we love you and I will tell him that you aren't running away. He'll understand about needing to get your stuff and clear your head as long as you talk to him yourself when you get back."

"I will Mom. I will." Jamie said as he saw Marina standing with Emma.

"The jet's ready. I'll drive the two of you back to SI." Emma said with a smile as she had her Mustang keys in her hand.

Jamie gave Pepper one last kiss on the cheek before taking Marina's hand and going to the car with Emma to fly back to Florida to close out his life there.


	37. Chapter 37

When the plane landed in Florida, Cocoa Beach seemed like a million miles away from Malibu and New York but somehow seemed to fit like a well worn jacket. The lack of glitz and glamour except that which was associated with Kennedy Space Center seemed to show another side of Jamie…a side that was about to be placed in boxes and locked away forever.

Jamie had a friend meet him at the airport to take them to and from the apartment. He instructed the pilot when they would return before escorting Marina to the car and driving off to his apartment to clean it out.

After seeing the grandeur and sheer size of the Stark mansion in Malibu, Jamie's tiny one bedroom apartment was almost shocking to Marina. It was sparsely furnished and seemingly barely used. The only clue that Jamie even lived there was the entertainment unit in the corner of the living room. He had the TV, DVD, stereo, Xbox 360 and his computer all wired together.

"Do me a favor…go through the desk in the corner and sort through the crap there." Jamie instructed Marina as he grabbed a big box and headed into the bedroom. "Keep whatever looks important and trash the rest."

Marina just sighed as she approached the desk. "Jamie? How are we getting the furniture out of here? That sure as hell won't fit in the car." She called back as she started to go through the papers. His organizational skills were just as bad as his father's.

"None of it is mine." Jamie called out from the bedroom as he was throwing his clothes and linens in the box. "The apartment came furnished."

"That makes things a little easier." She sighed as she picked up an envelope with Stark Industries as the return addressee. "Jamie? What's this?" Marina asked in a very serious tone as she took the letter out and read it.

"What does it look like?" Jamie called back with a hint of sarcasm in his voice since he had a good idea what she just picked up.

Marina easily recognized the Human Resources letterhead as she read the letter aloud to Jamie. "Dear Mr. Stark, we are pleased to offer you the position of Head of prototype design in our Research and Development division of Stark Industries International…" she read sternly. "This looks an awful lot like a job offer, Jamie." Marina stated without a hint of flexibility or remorse in her voice.

"That's because it is," Jamie replied coolly as he leaned against the door frame of his bedroom.

"You've had this letter for two years. Are you planning on doing anything about it?" Marina snapped as she held out the letter.

"I've thought about it." Jamie said just a little too casually as he took the letter and folded it up and shoved it in the pocket of his jeans.

"That position would be perfect for you and you know that. What in hell is keeping you from signing that letter?" Marina snapped again as she crossed her arms in front of her, obviously not liking the cavalier attitude that Jamie was taking. Now she understood why Pepper got so frustrated with Tony sometimes.

"Until two days ago, I didn't need it." Jamie snapped as he stacked two boxes in his living room and then proceeded to dismantle his electronics with the precision of the engineer that he was. "I also know that it will be there whenever I want it."

"You can't be sure of that. Your father could have filled the position with someone else after two years. You have to stop taking advantage of things." Marina scolded him.

"My father would never put someone else in that position unless I outright refused it," Jamie said seriously as he looked up at a very pissed off girlfriend. "He would never put anyone else in that position because it was his position before he became the CEO. My grandfather created it for him and my father kept it for me."

* * *

After resting from getting his ass kicked by his own son, Tony had taken to the workshop and working on the hot rod to keep his mind off of things and to help him calm down. He didn't know how long he was down there but no matter how long it was, it really did help to clear his head.

It was near lunchtime when Pepper crept downstairs. She didn't turn down his music when she came down and set Tony's lunch on his desk. She didn't even approach him at first; she just stood back by his desk and watched him work with a small smile on her face.

"You know you can't sneak up on me," Tony said with a small laugh as he turned around with a relieved smile on his face to see Pepper. The bruises and cuts were still very visible but healing from the fight, a lingering dent to his ego. "Your perfume hits me as soon as you come into the room." He said as he motioned for her to come to him.

"I wasn't sneaking up on you," Pepper said as she crossed the room and sat down on his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was admiring the goods."

"The goods are a little worse for wear here but I think I could still make you scream out pretty good." Tony mumbled as he buried his face in Pepper's neck, kissing the spot that he knows makes her squirm.

"If you behave yourself…" she teased in between squeaks.

"Why do I have to behave myself?" Tony whined. "Being bad is so much more fun."

"Because I just got a call from Jamie saying that they are getting in the air soon to head home." Pepper stated, preparing herself for an explosion.

Tony felt Pepper tense in his arms as she said that. "I'm not mad at him if that is what you're thinking." He reassured her. "I'm still a little ticked that he managed to kick my ass so thoroughly that it put me in bed for a day but I do need a good ass kicking every now and again."

"It keeps you humble," Pepper joked as she ran her fingers through Tony's hair. "I think Jamie is a little afraid that you're furious with him."

"I'm not and I never was mad at him," Tony stated. "Okay, I was a little mad when he chucked the bottle in your direction but otherwise, I was more worried than anything."

"You understood him? You're usually more in tune with Emma rather than Jamie and that is why you two butt heads so often." Pepper commented.

"Yeah, I understood him." Tony confirmed. "I understood why he was acting the way he was. I understood why he left when he did and I understand his hesitation to come back. His only desire had died in front of him and instead of showing how much it hurt him, he turned it into rage. He was looking for a fight and I just stood in his way so he wouldn't do anything stupid. I let him unload on me but I thought it would hurt less. I forgot how strong he was. I just wish I had gotten to him before he poured the bottle of vodka down his throat." Tony stated with a bit of sadness in his voice, almost admitting failure.

"Maybe you can tell him that when he gets here in about five hours." Pepper said as she kissed Tony's lips, the one spot without grease on him.

It was past seven when Jamie and Marina finally made it back to the mansion with all his crap from Florida. He set the boxes down in the living room and looked up to see Pepper coming towards him. He still felt terrible about what he did and he still felt a thorough apology was in order.

"Mom…"

"Save it, James," Pepper said quickly as she interrupted him. "Stop stalling. You have already apologized to me. Your father is downstairs." She added as she pointed to the steps leading to the workshop, leaving no room for argument or negotiation.

Jamie nods and his bravado definitely shrinks a bit when Pepper confronts him. His mother had mastered the ability to make grown men, whether they are nineteen or fifty-six, shrink into obedient little children. He slowly made his way down the steps to the workshop, trying to gather his courage to face his father.

Upon reaching the bottom, Jamie peered in to see Tony still working on the hot rod but it sort of surprised him to hear Boston and Chicago rather than Metallica and AC/DC pounding out of the speakers. "Dad?" he called out, trying to get Tony's attention.

"I threw all the booze away if that is what you are looking for…something I should have done years ago. Thanks for giving me the kick in the ass to get it done." Tony said with a dry sarcasm without turning away from the car.

"Ok…I deserved that." Jamie admitted but then paused to try to find the right words. "Dad…I…"

Tony heard the hesitation in his son's voice and he turned, raising a hand to stop him. "I made my share of mistakes and had many cases bad judgment in my day. Let's just say I was owed and call it even. I know you apologized to your mother and that was most important. Let's move on."

"Dad, I'm sorry." Jamie blurted out before Tony could stop him.

Tony waved Jamie off as he stood up and pulled his son into a tight hug, not totally able to hide the wince of pain in the sentiment.

Jamie felt Tony flinch just about at the same moment he did. They did get a few good knocks on each other. "I hope I didn't hurt you too badly." He said with a small laugh as he joined Tony by the hot rod.

"I've dealt with worse…like from a tank…but I'll live." Tony laughed.

Jamie got a good look at the bruising that he and his father shared all over their faces and arms and he had to laugh a bit. "Next time we beat the hell out of each other, we should be wearing armor."

"We'll bring Rhodey in on it. I'm sure he'd love the war games." Tony added in there as he picked up the socket wrench and went back to adjusting the engine like he was before Jamie came in. "So what do you plan on doing now? I didn't raise you to be a trust fund baby."

"Well about that…" Jamie started as he fished the letter out of his pocket. "While Marina and I were cleaning out my apartment, I found this in Florida," he said as he handed the letter to Tony.

Tony took the letter from Jamie and recognized it instantly. He looked down at the bottom and clearly saw _**James A. Stark**_ signed on the bottom and he could not help but smile a little bit. "Are you sure about this?" Tony asked as he wanted to make sure this was what Jamie wanted.

"I figured since you spent all that money on my really expensive education, I might as well use what I learned in the family business." Jamie added. "So let's talk benefits here? Do I get my own secretary?"

"Benefits?" Tony laughed. "You get what every other section head gets which you will find out about on Monday morning at nine in the morning when you meet with Emma. Secretary? You are working down with all the dirt and grease, you don't need a secretary."

"Come on Dad, what good is having an office if I don't have a certain cute brunette secretary to have a quickie with at lunch?" Jamie asked. "And why do I need to meet with Emma?"

"Don't start." Tony warned. "The last thing I need to hear is you and Marina going at it like rabbits on my dime. And you are meeting wit your sister because as Director of Operations, she oversees all the section heads and is therefore your boss."

"Well…I could always just use your office…" Jamie slipped in, ignoring the comment about Emma being his boss.

"Not on your life, kid."

* * *

At seven thirty on Monday morning, Emma was dressed in a smart black skirt and purple blouse and black heels was finishing off her frosted mini-wheats and coffee when she saw Jamie coming down the stairs. She sighed when she looked at his jeans, gray t-shirt with a black baseball jersey over it and a Yankees hat on backwards.

Jamie clearly heard the sigh coming from Emma as she read over the newspaper. "What?"

"Oh nothing…" Emma sighed. "I figured you would have at least worn a suit for the first day."

"I plan on getting dirty on the first day so this is appropriate." Jamie said as he poured himself some coffee and a bowl of frosted flakes. "Are Mom and Dad up yet?"

"No," Emma said flatly. "But that reminds me…Jarvis; please send any of the appointments that Dad may miss to my schedule. Mom can sort out the switches later on."

"Of course, Miss Emma. The appointments up through ten o'clock are being forwarded to Jeannie at this very moment."

"Thank you Jarvis." Emma said as she finished off the last of her coffee and handed a large envelope to Jamie. "Since it looks like I am covering Dad this morning, you will need this. Inside, you'll find your updated ID badge, benefits package, W-2 forms, insurance coverage, etc. Any questions just shoot me a text or email."

Jamie took the envelope and eyed the contents. "I have two degrees from MIT, I think I can figure it out." He said dryly.

"Well, I have two from Harvard so we're pretty evenly matched." Emma countered as she grabbed her keys and filled her travel coffee mug. "Just make sure you are in the reactor building on level two by nine or I will not hesitate to fire your ass on the first day. I'll see you later." She said as she ran out the door.

At ten before nine, Jamie flashed his ID to security and headed into the reactor building. He quickly found what was technically his office and a bunch of guys from MIT and RPI. He introduced himself to the engineers that ranged in experience from being newbies to actually working with his father. As Jamie, turned on the music – hard rock of course – he heard one of them say,"It's good to have a Stark working in the trenches again," and got to work with a smile.


	38. Chapter 38

It was early afternoon and Tony had managed to escape the office early while Jamie and Pepper were still there. He had nothing going on that afternoon and Pepper had learned long ago; never ever keep a bored Tony where he doesn't want to be because trouble always follows with a capital T. So given these few moments of freedom, Tony stole away to his workshop as was the norm with him but not to work on his cars or his armor, he had picked up a new habit over the last year…one he didn't let on to many people.

Making sure the workshop was closed and soundproofed first, Tony sat on his couch and had Jarvis cue up the video.

"Sir, why do you do this to yourself? She is just a phone call away and has purposely stayed on California time despite the fact that she is in London." Jarvis admonished his creator.

"I did not ask for your opinion on the matter. If I had known that _**HE**_ was going to be made U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, I never would have allowed them to get married so just put it on already and shut up about it."

If an A.I. could sigh, it was sure that Jarvis did before he cued up the requested video.

It started with a text message and a cell phone video.

"_**Mr. Stark, I thought you might want to see this before it ends up on YouTube. BTW thank Jamie and Emma for my 2000 dollar bonus – Marina**__._"

Then the video cued in to a karaoke bar – a full karaoke bar where the night was already going into high gear. Just after a really good one, Emma jumped on the bar and put her pinkies to her lips and let out a high pitched whistle to get everyone's attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Listen up!" Emma cried out over the crowd. "My name is Emma Stark and yes you heard me right so I fully expect to see this all over the internet by morning. As I said, my name is Emma Stark and this is my last night as a single woman and I plan to have fun with it. Now, my brother and I love karaoke and we are fairly decent at it so we want to make things a little more interesting." She pulls out ten 100 bills. "One thousand dollars to the best of the night and my man Matt the bartender will be the judge. Do we have a contest?"

"Emma wait," Jamie spoke up as he pulled out his wallet. "Make it two," he added as he threw his own thousand down on the table.

"Sounds like this contest just got a little more interesting. So, time to start this off with a bang." Emma said with a smirk as she nodded to the DJ and Madonna's "Where's the Party?" started playing and by the end she had people screaming.

Not to be out done by his younger sister, Jamie stepped up next with a frightfully good rendition of "Eye of the Tiger."

A few more went up and kept the spirits high, all but one – one David Roosevelt who seemed to Tony and probably a few others – bored out of his skull.

Even after watching this video as often as he did, Tony seriously wondered what in hell his daughter saw in someone so damn dull and boring.

Even though Tony knew the ending, he had to smile a little bit that Jamie and Emma were not about to lose his money until Marina got up there with Britney Spears' "Womanizer" and brought the roof down and his son's temperature WAY up.

The video then faded to the mansion on the wedding day. Jamie had been vanquished from the house, leaving Tony alone with Pepper, Emma, Marina and the other bridesmaids. For once in a very long time, Tony felt distinctly out of place in a room full of women and truly wished he had not given up drinking.

As Tony watched the video of Emma stepping out of her bedroom in her wedding dress again, his eyes started to sting just as much as they did the first time. He had never seen a more beautiful bride. There were even thoughts in his mind that Emma outdid Pepper. Maybe it was just the uniqueness of Emma's dress with the red across the bodice and on the train from her waist to the floor with gold stitching and red heels that stuck more in his mind. He had to smile when she said that red was only fitting for Iron Man's daughter. But as he continued to watch, the smile faded just a little bit like in the video, when he gave Emma his mother's diamond and tear drop ruby earrings to wear for the wedding and kissed her cheek. Emma looked up at him and wiped a tear away from his cheek.

"Are you going to be alright, Daddy?" she asked just as Happy came with the limo.

"Nope and there will be pictures all over tomorrow of Iron Man totally losing it as he walks his daughter down the isle." Tony told her.

"No there won't be, because I won't let them." Emma assured him as they got into the car.

Then Tony hit the fast forward button. He didn't need to watch the wedding again. It was painful enough the first time. He didn't need to watch himself try not to completely lose it as he walked Emma down the isle. He didn't need to watch the ceremony in which David took Emma away from him and he certainly did not need to watch the kiss again.

The video then cut to the reception at The Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel, one of the best in Los Angeles and came at a very pretty penny but Tony never quibbled about money when his family was concerned, especially his princess. To Tony, seeing this once was enough. The entrances, first dance as husband and wife, which was the only one David even did, toasts…not very interesting but Tony did have to admit that Jamie had a pretty damn good toast as best man. His son could be as well spoken as he was when they both wanted to be.

Tony kept fast forwarding to what interested him the most. He skipped the general party and most of the typical wedding things and went straight for the father –daughter dance.

From the second Emma started planning the wedding, she insisted that she get two dances with her father, something Tony was not going to quibble about one bit. So since whatever a Stark wants, a Stark gets, Tony and Emma had actually planned quite a bit of it out so it would represent them both. The first dance was to Peter Cetera's "_Daddy's Girl_" but a lot of it would not really be seen. They had created a video and picture montage of just the two of them from the time Emma was a baby and there were a hell of a lot of photos of just the two of them since Jamie had always drifted a little more towards Pepper and Emma to Tony. As the song went through, the lights would slowly come up until the room was bright enough to see again and "_It's Hard Letting You Go_" by Bon Jovi started playing for the second dance. During the whole dance, Tony had tears in his eyes which Emma wiped away as they danced as he whispered the lyrics to her like he did when she was a baby.

Even just watching the video again brought Tony right back and he was very glad that no one was home to witness this, not that he would really notice right away anyway. He was on his fifth time watching it when he finally caught that he wasn't alone anymore.

"What would people say if they saw this?" Pepper said from the door frame as she walked into the garage.

"More proof that Tony Stark has a heart?" Tony deadpanned as he sniffed slightly.

"More like Iron Man is going to rust with all this mush that he is subjecting himself to." Pepper said as she crossed the workshop and saw Tony's reddened eyes.

"That's the Tin Man but I got a few oil cans laying around down her somewhere so I don't think that will be a problem." Tony said dryly before turning to Pepper. "And if you say anything, I deny it with every fiber of my being and your only proof is locked safely away with Jarvis."

Pepper sat down next to him just as Tony let the video play on its own, just as the bouquet was being thrown, and handed him a tissue without saying any thing about it. "I know you miss her but you are not looking at the whole picture," Pepper reminded him gently. "Do you even realize what changes she has made with her life so not to hurt you?" she said as he paused for him to actually look at her when she spoke. "She didn't want to move to London, Jamie told me she didn't want to, but she did because this was too good of an opportunity for David. She stayed on California hours, working from four in the afternoon London time to one or two in the morning so she could still be your Director of Operations and sit in on board meetings which she knows damn well that you hate, while David worked from eight in the morning to six at night, hardly ever seeing him. She still pulls sixty to seventy hours a week for you because it's her job and she loves it and you."

"I know all of that," Tony countered. "But I hate that she is so far away."

"Did you forget that you have a jet and London isn't that long of a plane ride?" Pepper joked.

"I am sorry to interrupt, sir, but I have a video call coming in from London," Jarvis interjected.

"Put it through, damn it. You should know better than that by now." Tony snapped.

The wedding video faded out and David appeared on the screen, looking a little worse for wear than what Tony and Pepper had been used to. Tony had been sure that the boy didn't even own a pair of jeans and a t-shirt at one time and right now he was positively in bum mode.

"Tony, Pepper…good to see you. We have some news," David stated with a barely concealed smile as he turned the camera on Emma.

David panned the camera back just enough to show a room in the Royal London hospital and swaddled in Emma's arms was a dark haired pink bundle.

"Born only three days before your birthday, Dad. What an April Fool's Joke, right?" Emma said with a laugh as she adjusted the blanket so they could see the baby.

"We'd like to introduce you to your granddaughter, Antonia Maria Stark Roosevelt."


	39. Chapter 39

It was a very well known fact to nearly everyone in the free world that only one cell phone was allowed to ring in the Stark household before seven in the morning. If two rang, especially now, it was vitally important. If three rang, someone better have died.

It was not uncommon for Pepper's phone to ring in the early morning hours with meetings scheduled in New York or shipping arrangements coming in but when her phone rang on this morning, she never expected what she heard on the other end and turned on CNN as she was requested.

Not long after she turned on the TV, Jamie appeared at the top of the stairs in a black _Stark Industries_ t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He had been getting ready for work when his cell phone rang with a very cryptic message.

"Mom? What's going on?" he asked as he descended the stairs. "I just got a call from the Department of Defense routed through from the White House directly requesting me for Honor Guard duty in London. Last time I checked, ambassadors don't get an honor guard, especially a retired USAF Captain, unless they are dead."

Pepper was silent as Jamie explained his call. "Get your father, Jamie." She said softly as her eyes didn't move from the disturbing images on the TV.

"Mom? What happened?" Jamie asked again as he looked at the TV which unfortunately just went to commercial.

"Just get your father," Pepper repeated. "He needs to see this."

Jamie was getting very frustrated about being kept in the dark but it did no good to argue. "Where is he?"

"If he's awake, he's in the shower." Pepper said solemnly as her gaze went back to the TV.

Jamie nodded and started back up the stairs, confirming with Jarvis where Tony actually was first before having to hunt for his father. He knocked sharply on the bathroom door so he could be heard over the running water. "Dad?"

Tony barely heard Jamie's voice over the water. It was on the third time that he called out that he heard him. "What do you need, Jamie?"

"Mom needs you to come downstairs. I think something bad happened in London." Jamie explained and then headed back downstairs.

Just barely after Jamie hit the living room floor, Tony appeared behind him in a pair of sweatpants and messy wet hair. He hears that something happened in London and he's going to pay attention quick. "Pepper? What's going on?" Tony asked urgently.

Pepper didn't answer. She just turned up the volume on the TV.

"Good morning, we are continuing our live coverage of the tragedy that took place in London this morning. At eleven London time, the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, David Roosevelt, was shot and killed in Kings Cross Station. Details are coming in but what we know is that Ambassador Roosevelt and his wife, businesswoman Emma Stark-Roosevelt, were waiting to board a train to Cambridge where a sniper fired off two shots which resulted in his tragic death. Local sources are claiming that a terrorist cell known as the Ten Rings is responsible for the killing but the investigation is still open…"

The room was silent as the newscaster broadcasted what happened. No one wanted to say what they most feared.

"This happened what…four hours ago…why in hell weren't we called then?" Tony snapped. "And they're not saying anything about Emma…"

"I am going to assume that she's alright because they are not saying anything," Pepper said quietly, the same fear that Emma was not actually alright was gripping hard on her throat. "David's immediate family was probably notified."

"We are now getting in some new footage from this morning's attack," the newscaster spoke. "What you are watching is the security feed from the station cameras…"

The screen changed into the overhead view of the station. You could hear the first shot and see David buck as it hit him in the shoulder. He was standing in front of Emma at the time. As he was pushing her back, the second shot came and hit him in the side of the head. You could hear Emma scream as she knelt down beside the bleeding body of her husband and police started to swarm around them and then the picture went out.

"Ambassador Roosevelt was taken to the Royal Hospital where he was pronounced dead at half past eleven this morning. We have footage of Mrs. Roosevelt leaving the hospital after the tragedy. The Ambassador also leaves behind a two year old daughter."

The screen brought up a picture of Emma leaving the hospital, dark sunglasses hiding her eyes and her gray skirt and jacket splattered with David's blood and being mobbed by reporters which she ignored and pushed through as three Secret Service agents surrounded her. She was holding it together well enough but she was trained from childhood to do that in front of cameras.

"Pepper, tell them to get the jet ready. I am going to London with Jamie." Tony ordered in a tone that seemed angry but it was a mask Pepper knew well. Focus pain through anger so hide it. He may have never been really fond of David but at no time did he want him dead, especially like this.

"I'm on it and WE are going." She said as she pulled out her phone quickly, trying to keep it together given the fact that she just had to watch her son-in-law die on international news.

"Why haven't we heard from Emma yet? I'm calling her." Tony demanded.

"They probably won't let her considering the threat at the moment. Remember, she does have a direct line to the President."

"I really don't give a shit at the moment," Tony spat. "I want to know that she's okay." He added as he went in search of his phone in the workshop.

No sooner had Tony descended the stairs to the garage Bon Jovi's _Wild as the Wind, _Emma's ring tone, started up and Tony grabbed the phone as quick as he could. "Emma? Are you alright?"

"Physically I am," Emma said in a flat tone but Tony could hear the shakiness in her voice. "I guess I don't need to say what happened."

"No, all of us will be heading there shortly."

Emma swallowed hard. "Good." She breathed. "Dad, is there anyway that Jarvis could put me on speaker so I can talk to everyone?"

"Of course," Tony told her gently. "Jarvis, you heard her…put my phone through the house speakers."

"As you wish, sir."

A click was heard as the call was transferred to the speaker phone in the house.

"Mom? Jamie?"

"Emma, how are you doing?" Pepper gasped as Tony came up the stairs.

"Shitty is the best way I can put it." Emma stated. Just like her father, hide pain with anger.

"What can we do?" Pepper asked.

"Dad said you all are coming over here…"

"Yeah, the President called me to do Honor Guard duty," Jamie interjected.

"I know that. I requested you when I called him when this happened." Emma snapped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." She instantly apologized when she realized her tone.

"Don't worry, sis. No offense taken. I understand. If it helps, I'll let you beat on me if necessary when I get there." Jamie offered.

"I may take you up on that." Emma sighed. "They are planning a memorial service here the day after tomorrow, shortly after you all arrive. I need to plan the one for Los Angeles…"

"Emma, tell me what you want and I will get it done for you." Pepper interjected.

"I don't know…" Emma sighed tiredly. "I've never had to do this before…I guess we'll bury him in the cemetery where Grandpa and Grandma are. The wake will have to be closed casket…" she continued as her voice started to shake. "The funeral home here said there wasn't much that they could do give then extent of his injuries."

"Emma, don't worry. We'll take care of it." Tony interjected, hearing his daughter starting to crumble. "How's Antonia taking it?"

Emma took a shaky breath. "She won't leave my side right now. I explained it that Daddy died and she understood a little bit but things are so up in the air at the moment with the police and the packing…"

"Packing? Are you leaving London?" Tony asked quickly.

"I was hoping that I could come back home but if not…"

"Of course you can. You even have to ask that?" Tony chided her.

"I know but I didn't want to impose." Emma sighed.

"The day you are an imposition is the day Dummy finally gets a brain." Tony told her.

Emma laughed slightly. "Thanks Dad, I needed that." She said quietly. "When will you be hitting Heathrow?"

"As soon as the jet is ready so we'll be there in about fifteen hours." Pepper stated.

Emma did the math in her head quickly. "So, six tomorrow morning my time?"

"Sounds about right, after the plane is fueled up it's about an eleven hour flight from Los Angeles." Pepper confirmed. "Call us if you need anything."

"I will and Antonia and I will meet you on the tarmac at Heathrow tomorrow morning. I'll get the clearance so we don't have to go through the terminal. I love you."

Then the phone hung up and a hurricane of activity exploded in the Stark mansion.

* * *

The sky was still a bit pink through the cloud cover that hung over head in London. Emma stood in the shadow of the main terminal with Antonia in her arms flanked by two visible Secret Service agents as the Stark Industries jet was coming down the runway. The small American flag pin on the lapel of her black blazer over her black pinstriped dress was the only thing of color on her and a small symbol that still distinguished her as the wife of the now dead ambassador.

The jet stopped and the stairway was brought over to the door as it was opened and Emma could not help but smile when she saw her parents and her brother in his dress Air Force uniform, carrying the folded flag.

She nudged Antonia gently to get her attention. "Look who's here, baby…Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Jamie. Go say hi." She said cheerfully as she set Antonia down.

"Madam, I must protest this. It is against security protocol." One of the agents said to Emma.

Emma turned sharply on her heel with a dark look aimed in the agent's direction. "Those people are my parents and my brother. My father has a higher military clearance than you do and my brother is a retired USAF captain. My daughter is far safer with them than she is with you and if you ever try that again, I'll shoot you myself. Now, mind your tongue. You are not here at my request. In fact, I would have rather preferred my father's security team. They have a better track record than you." She ground out angrily before walking behind Antonia as she ran to Tony.

"Grandpa! Grandma!" Antonia screamed happily as she ran into Tony's outstretched arms, her dark curly pigtails bouncing as she ran.

"There's my little diamond," Tony said with a smile as he caught his granddaughter and picked her up and carried her back to her mother. She was so much like Emma it was almost like being brought back in time.

Emma couldn't speak at first when she saw her parents and brother. She hugged all of them and took Antonia from Tony and regained control over her emotions again. "Unfortunately, we have no time for sightseeing. We need to head over to the funeral home to prepare. The ceremony is starting in a few hours at Westminster but the processional from the funeral home will take a while." She tried to explain as they were ushered to the cars.

"We are here for you, princess. You are calling the shots here." Tony said calmly as he helped Pepper into the waiting car and noted how drained Emma appeared.

"I'm doing my best," Emma sighed as the car drove off.

The funeral home was the first stop. In the car, Emma centered herself for what she had to do. She had to view David one more time before the flag was draped over his casket since there was no way the body could be viewed.

When the car stopped, Jamie got out first and held the door for Emma. Antonia moved to follow her mother but Emma stopped her. "Wait here with Grandma and Grandpa. I'll be right back." She said gently.

"Mama, I wanna go." Antonia protested.

"Wait here," Emma said more firmly this time and Antonia scooted back with a quivering lower lip.

Emma couldn't look at her daughter about to cry if she was to keep up the façade and she shut the door without looking back and walked inside with Jamie.

"Why no I go?" Antonia asked as she climbed into Tony's lap.

"Your mom just has to do something really quick but really dull so she didn't want you to be bored while she got it done." Pepper told her gently with a smile.

"Don't worry, Diamantina," Tony said, using her nickname, as he let Antonia stand on his legs. "Your mom will be back before you can miss her and we wouldn't let you get bored. Trust me?"

Antonia nodded but kept her gaze trained on the doors for her mom.

* * *

Inside, the funeral parlor was eerily silent. Two British Marines had been standing guard by David's coffin until the American contingent had arrived. The funeral director greeted Emma at the door.

"Good morning, Mrs. Roosevelt." He said comfortingly.

"Good morning," Emma responded. "My brother, Captain James Stark, USAF retired." She said as she introduced Jamie. "He's part of the honor guard. I was told that the other three would be meeting here to begin the processional."

The director nodded in understanding. "Yes Mrs. Roosevelt. The officers from the Army, Navy and Marines are waiting in the adjoining room if you wish to meet them. Now, this is to be a modified state funeral, am I correct?"

Emma nodded. "My husband is to be taken by gun carriage drawn by six horses to Westminster Abbey by order of his Majesty as a courtesy to the American government and a sign of respect to his position. He is to be flanked by four United States officers and the two British Marines that have been standing guard thus far and two others. After the service, he will be transported by car to Heathrow where my family and I will be bringing him back to Los Angeles."

The director nodded as he made those few last minute notes. "It will be done as you request. Would you like to say your last goodbyes before we proceed?"

Emma nodded as she took Jamie's offered arm to escort her into the viewing room.

The funeral director opened the lid of the casket and Emma braced herself. She remembered very well what had happened to David. The side of his head had been blown off by a sniper's rifle but the funeral director did a wonderful job of trying to hide it. David was dressed in a black suit with a red tie. His head had been turned to the left to cover the hole as best as they could. It was a hard sight to look at in any case but especially hard on a man of only thirty. Emma reached into her purse and pulled out his flag lapel pin and pinned it to his jacket and said her last goodbye before stepping back and nodding to the director that she was ready.

The director saw her signal and closed the lid and stepped back for Jamie to render honors.

With the help of the two British marines, Jamie unfolded the American flag and fixed it over the casket placed so that the union was at his head and over the left shoulder of David's body. Once the flag was in place, Jamie raised a slow salute to David's body, joined by the two British marines that had guarded the body as well as the five other officers in the other room. After final honors had been given, the military officers in the room introduced themselves to Emma and then prepared to carry the casket out to the waiting caisson.

Emma excused herself first since she did not want Antonia seeing the coffin being carried out. "I will see you at the Abbey." She said quickly as she exited and got back into the car and ordered the driver to go.

As Antonia climbed off Tony's lap and into her mother's, Tony easily noticed the stiffness in Emma's demeanor. She was holding everything in and he knew it and that was the worse thing that she could do. It would only come back to grab her by the throat when she would not want it to. Tony clearly remembered when Obadiah had told him to "put on a brave face" during his parents' funeral but he couldn't. He could not hold back the pain that time and then got scolded again when he tried to hide his reddened eyes with his sunglasses by Obadiah. He had been forced, like Emma is now, to suffer in public and it was never fair.

The car pulled up to a filled Westminster Abbey just before the gun carriage. Emma took a few cleansing breaths.

"We will walk in after the casket has been carried in. The left front pew is reserved for us. I have to pay respect to the representatives of the Royal family and other governments before I take my place and then they will start the service." Emma explained.

"I remember this unfortunately too well," Tony sighed as Pepper got out of the car.

"Was this what Grandpa's and Grandma's funeral was like?" Emma asked her father softly as she got out of the car.

Tony nodded solemnly. "Even with the President attending," he stated as he stood between Pepper and Emma and watched as the coffin was being taken off the gun carriage.

Jamie took the position of the pallbearer under the Union with the Navy officer on the other side. The British marines took the two positions in the center while the officers from the U.S. Marines and Army were at the back. In dress uniforms, they walked instep to the soft drum beat into the Abbey. The mourners present stood as the casket made its entrance. Tony and Pepper walked in first behind the casket as Emma walked in last carrying Antonia. As the coffin was being set down, Emma handed Antonia to her mother and bowed before the representatives of the Royal family as protocol dictated before she sat down.

The service started with beautiful eulogies from the priest and the surprisingly the Prime Minister as well. As the casket was being loaded into the hearse, Pepper took Antonia while Tony stayed behind with Emma to receive the last of the condolences before heading back to the states.

Once they were back in the car, the black limo following behind the hearse to the airport, Emma flipped out her cell phone.

"I left the address where the boxes should be shipped to. The only furniture that was ours is the baby furniture all the rest stays." She explained to the person on the other end of the line. "I expect all of them to be in the air by tonight, am I clear?" A pause. "Good. Thank you." She snapped before snapping her phone shut and gazing out of the window, rubbing the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache that was attacking her.

"When was the last time you slept?" Tony asked gently as he saw the strain in Emma's face.

"Says the man who stays up for four days straight working and then crashes for two when the caffeine runs out," Emma shot back with an uncommon sarcasm towards her father.

"Emma," Tony said with a tone that indicated he really didn't appreciate the sarcasm he got despite the current situation but she did score a point on that one.

"Sorry," Emma sighed. "Not since it happened, alright?"

"Why don't you try to on the flight back? It is an eleven hour ride."

"I don't know…I can't…" Emma babbled out. "Oh…speaking of going back…we need to stop over in New York."

"Not a problem but may I ask why?" Tony asked.

"I need to pay my respects in Hyde Park. The president was his great-grandfather." Emma stated.

The layover in New York only lasted five hours. It was enough time for Emma to drive from JFK to Hyde Park, deal with estate matters and get back to the jet. By the time she had returned, the environment had taken a much quieter tone.

The flight attendants had darkened the plane so the family could get some rest. Jamie had changed out of his uniform into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and crashed dead away on one of the seats in the cabin that reclined all the way back. Antonia had been tucked in a barricade of pillows in the smaller bedroom while Pepper took the larger that she usually shared with Tony.

Tony on the other hand, sat on the couch in the main cabin waiting for Emma. Since the day she was born, they had always gravitated towards each other and often kept the same hours. As she came on the plane, he could easily see that all her walls weren't up, like she wasn't trying to hide anything right now. He didn't say a word but nodded his head for her to sit down next to him. When she acquiesced, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close so her head rested on his shoulder. Emma curled into the warmth and security of her father's embrace and closed her eyes. This was something she had missed since being so far away. As the plane climbed, Emma only heard one sound, her father's voice singing in her ear as she finally drifted off.

* * *

The next morning could only be called restrained chaos. The events of the day weighed heavily on the occupants despite the fact out the outward appearance of order and organization. As a coping strategy, Emma stuck to a rigid schedule to keep going…get up, get showered and dressed, get Antonia ready, feed her breakfast while consuming the first shots of espresso for the day. It was the robotic rigidity that set off warning signs with Pepper as she watched her daughter seemingly go through the motions.

When Tony finally came downstairs, Pepper had to pull him aside. "I am getting very worried about her. She's bottling everything in and this isn't healthy for her. I know she hasn't properly let herself grieve yet and she won't let anyone help her."

Tony shrugged. His hands were tied in this as well. "She's strong, Pepper. Like you. Forcing her isn't going to help much."

Pepper shook her head. "No, she's you and she always has been." Pepper corrected. "You need to be forced more often than not on certain things when I know what is good for you."

"Obadiah tried to do that to me and I ended up running out of the house for a few hours until I knew he was gone." Tony admitted. "She's going to blow up if she's forced."

"I think I would rather that than this shadow walking around here." Pepper admitted. "That is not Emma."

"Then tell me what you want to do," Tony insisted.

"During the service, I will take Antonia. Emma won't let herself show her grief in front of the baby and I can see her hiding it, especially when we stopped at the funeral home in London. That may just be enough to push her over."

"If she is like me as you say she is, she'll lose it at the gun salute." Tony stated. "Because that's when I did."

* * *

One last minute change took place in regards to the funeral when a traffic concern was brought up. They could not close down all the roads needed from the funeral home to the cemetery for that length of time so the entire ceremony was moved to the cemetery.

As part of the honor guard, Jamie went to the funeral home to meet up with David's father and brother for the processional while Happy drove the rest of the family to the gravesite. The route was lined with press since the story of the assassination was still in the top five news stories every night. This was one reason that Emma relished the black tinted windows.

"I should be there," Emma said quietly as the car drove past the funeral home. "I should be walking behind him."

"I doubt David would want to see you suffering," Pepper said gently. "Instead, you're the light at the end of his tunnel by staying at the end."

Emma nodded silently in understanding and the look that Tony gave Pepper told her that she had gotten through the hard outer shell.

Happy pulled up to the gravesite and opened the door. Hundreds of people had already shown up from both business and politics. Secret service agents were patrolling all over in advance of the arrival of the President's delegation. In the front row, there were seats reserved for Pepper, Emma and Antonia, Marina and Tony right next to David's mother.

Emma handed Antonia off to Pepper so she could greet her mother-in-law. Despite being deep in grief, David's mother apologized for not coming to London and Emma told her not to worry. She understood and never expected his parents to make the long trip.

The crowd was so silent that Emma caught the sound of the pipe and drum core of the processional on the wind, signaling that they were close. Before anyone else heard it, she stood up and turned towards the gates. The rest of the crowd soon followed suit. The military present snapped to attention as the horse drawn caisson started down the road. Eight members of the military escorted the casket, two from each branch, with Jamie taking the lead spot. Behind the casket, dressed in black, were David's father and two brothers, following behind with their heads bowed. When the caisson pulled up to the graveside, the escorts carried the casket to the grave and the priest started the service.

"We are gathered here today to bid farewell to David Roosevelt. He was blessed with many gifts for someone so young, his beautiful wife and daughter, a flourishing career and all the promise in the world that was snuffed out too soon. As a request from the family, I have been asked to open the service to those who wish to speak,"

A silent pause swept over the crowd before Emma stood up. Her hands were shaking a bit as she walked up to the graveside carrying three roses in her hand. "Forgive me if I stumble a bit but I never thought I would be speaking at my husband's funeral so soon." She started as she glanced at the flag draped coffin and then back to the crowd. "Four years ago, no one would have pegged someone like me being with someone like David but we seemed to be two puzzle pieces that just fit together. For David, facing off against hostile nations in diplomatic negotiations was nothing compared to going against my father. This would be easier if we had more time together. My only regret is that he won't be there to see our daughter grow up with me. He'll be guarding her from above." She said solemnly before sitting back down, her face stoic as she set the rose next to the grave.

When no others wanted to speak, the two Marines stepped up to the casket as Jamie stepped off to join the five others for the gun volley. As the Marines started to fold the flag, the other six officers pulled their service weapons and shot off three shots each in salute. At the sound of each shot, Emma flinched but did not break. She stood when the Marines approached her with the folded flag.

"On behalf of a grateful nation, we present this flag to you in memory of your husband." The Marine said as Emma took the flag with shaking hands as it was given a final salute. She did not sit when he stepped off right away. Tony had to touch her hand and gently pull her back as the casket was being lowered into the ground and the crowd dropped their flowers on top.

When the crowd had all had given their condolences and started back to the mansion for a reception, Emma said a few things to David's family and gave them the new numbers so they could see Antonia and then followed her parents and her brother and Marina up the hill a bit more to the graves of Howard and Maria Stark. All of them had laid a rose from the flowers David had received on both stones before leaving to head home.

About a hundred people in addition to David's family had come back to the mansion after the services and it was very evident to Pepper and Tony that Emma was not up for being social when she had Jarvis lock people out from going on the pool deck after she came up from the beach, sending a small paper lantern adrift on the ocean in memory of David. Many people had wanted to offer their condolences again but Pepper wouldn't let them anywhere near that door. Even they had to clear going out there with Jarvis before sneaking up on her.

Emma didn't know how long she sat in silence on the pool deck and only realized she was hungry when she heard the snick of the sliding glass door and smelled the plate that her mother had brought out for her.

"Your father tried to turn the tides to make sure you ate," Pepper joked as she handed the plate to Emma.

"He's trying to get back at me for the sleep comment yesterday," Emma said flatly as she nibbled on the plate and kept staring at the ocean. "I feel like I'm doing something wrong," she said absently. "I mean, I just lost my husband and became a single mother, I should be in hysterics but I'm not. I know he's gone and I should be more upset…"

"When your father was held captive and everyone told me that he was dead, I refused to believe them. I still felt him. I knew he was alive still. I had to still hold on to hope and would not accept anything but someone telling me he was coming home." Pepper stated.

"But the difference is that you felt him still alive. I don't feel David but I don't feel empty. I don't feel like part of me is missing like you did with Dad. Am I wrong?" Emma asked.

Pepper shook her head. "No, you're just dealing with this how you can. You're not wrong. I don't want to even try to analyze what you're feeling because I know you'll tell me I'm wrong, just like your father. Things will come to you when the time is right."

Emma nodded and sighed. "Could you watch Antonia for a little while? I need to clear my head and get out for a while."

"Of course," Pepper agreed. "Take as long as you need."

"Thanks Mom," Emma whispered before she got up and took the back stairs down to the garage to get her Corvette.

* * *

Some time went by before Jamie looked out the sliding glass door again and found the pool deck empty. "Where's Emma?" he shouted.

"She needed to clear her head," Pepper stated as she crossed the room at the sound of her son's panicked voice.

"You're not worried about this?" Jamie cried out. "I'm going after her."

"Jamie, stop." Tony interjected. "You're not going anywhere. What car did she take?" he asked Pepper.

"Her Corvette, I believe." Pepper replied.

Tony nodded calmly. "Jarvis? Keep tabs on where Emma's going. She's in the 'vette."

"I already have been, sir."

"Cool." Then Tony turned to Jamie. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. I did the exact same thing." He reassured his son.

* * *

With her stereo blasting and going as fast as she possibly could, Emma finally felt free as she let the wind whip through her hair through the open windows as she drove through the Malibu canyons. For the first time in days, she could finally clear her head to think straight and then the idea came to her. _**Justice…**_

She flipped open her cell phone and skimmed through the contacts until she found the one she was looking for – _**HELLFIRE. **_Putting the phone on speaker and turning down the music, Emma dialed the number.

"Voice identification…" a robotic voice stated.

"I am the Dark Diamond, verify me." Emma called out.

"Identity confirmed…your call will be put through." The robotic voice said as a closing. There was a pause before the next person picked up.

"Hello?" a cultured male voice said.

"Stark here…" Emma stated.

"What can I do for you, Emma?" he said pleasantly.

"I need a favor…"


	40. Chapter 40

In the months following David's funeral, life took on a much more normal feel to it again. Emma moved back into the Malibu mansion with Antonia while Jamie had taken to spending more time at Marina's condo. Emma had also reclaimed her office in the Los Angeles branch of Stark Industries, giving Tony a little more free time since his Director of Operations had a far better relationship with the Board than he did and she was now back in the same time zone again. Many had not heard that Emma had returned permanently after a nearly four year absence. So when the snap of stilettos on the marble floor was attached to a brunette rather than a red head, several high level executives needed to change their shorts.

Between work, family, charity functions, appearances and the occasional need for certain super heroes, life was sweet again while a much darker undercurrent still ran underneath all the glitter which many weren't choosing to acknowledge…except for Tony.

It was no secret how Tony had felt about David but no one deserved what he got. Given that and his daughter's feelings, Tony had taken up in most of his free time using his considerable resources to track down the guilty party responsible. Deep down, he had a pretty good idea on who was responsible and where they were located – right in the center of Hell on Earth. He knew Iron Man would be needed to finish the job but going into revenge missions unplanned and half cocked never turn out very well but planning took time and could be very distracting.

"Jarvis? What time is Emma expected back this evening?" Tony called out over the hard rock music as he worked on his tragically neglected hot rod to clear his head.

"Miss Emma is not expected to return this evening, sir."

Tony sighed. "What time is she expected back tomorrow then? I sent her to New York not Hong Kong."

"I do not have a time scheduled for her return tomorrow either, sir."

"Then when the hell is she getting back?" Tony snapped.

"Return time unknown. Miss Emma changed her itinerary after her board meeting in New York."

Tony stopped what he was doing and spun around on the tire. "Where did she go?" he ground out.

"According to my limited information, sir, she went to Afghanistan."

"SHE DID WHAT?!" Tony roared. "What in the name of hell is she doing there?"

"Data unknown. She left a well covered trail."

"Find her trail on what ever server you need to and get Jamie on the line now!" Tony growled as he spun over to his computer and tried to track where Emma was exactly as well as pull up all the intel he had acquired. When the GPS screen came up blank, he wanted to throw the monitor across the room. A chat window popped up instead.

"Dad, what's up? Jarvis said you needed me." Jamie asked a little too calmly for Tony's taste.

"Yeah I need you," Tony snapped back. "I need you to hack your sister's computer at SI and find out what she's up to."

Jamie was confused. "Dad, what's going on?"

"Emma took off for Afghanistan without telling anyone."

Jamie fell silent for a moment. "I'm on it. Give me thirty and I'll send Marina over to the house. She may know something about this."

"Good idea. I'm going to see how far I can get into her home one and we'll plan what we're going to do in thirty."

Pleasantly oblivious for once to what was going on in the basement, thanks to Tony's better sound proofing, Pepper was watching Antonia in the living room and making sure all of her Barbie dolls were properly accessorized when Jarvis announced that Marina was at the door. Pepper got up off the floor and opened the door to see a particularly frazzled Marina standing on the front step.

"Jamie's not here at the moment," Pepper said calmly as she invited Marina inside and tried to calm her down.

"I know. He was the one who sent me over here because he said Mr. Stark wanted to talk to me and I have learned not to question when you get a summons like that." Marina explained breathlessly.

Now, Pepper was worried. Tony did not issue summons like that any more. Emma did. Something was wrong. She sent Antonia upstairs to play in her room before calling down to the workshop for Tony.

No sooner had the words come out of her mouth, Tony ran upstairs with a look in his eye that was known to frighten even the most hardened generals.

"What do you know about Emma's plans?" he spat out so quickly at Marina that she fell back on to the couch in shock.

"What plans?" Marina gasped out.

"Has she been doing anything out of the ordinary?" Tony asked again, prying for anything.

Marina shook her head quickly. "No. Just working her usual hours and taking care of Antonia."

'Tony, what is going on here?" Pepper demanded, not liking the way Marina is being bullied.

"Emma took off," Tony spat out. "To Afghanistan and I am trying to figure out where as quickly as possible before something happens to her."

Before Pepper and Marina had the chance to express anything else but extreme shock at the bluntness and unexpected nature of Tony's statement, Jamie burst through the door, trying to catch his breath. "You'll be thanking me for this big time," he gasped out.

"We'll deal out the accolades later." Tony ground out. "What did you get?"

"Well she certainly did try to cover her tracks very well." Jamie ground out as he sat down. "But I did manage to hack into her email and find a series of back and forths between her and someone named Sage. She really didn't want anyone to know what she was doing because not only did she write them in Russian but in Cyrillic and backwards. The translation programs had one hell of a time with it but it managed to find a series of coordinates. When I first plugged them in, they ended up in Canada but when I flipped them…"

Tony cringed when he heard the name Sage. That only meant one thing. Emma had help from Hellfire Club, a secret society for the elite which had its own dark hidden agenda. He was only momentarily distracted until Jamie mentioned coordinates. "Where the hell is she?"

Jamie threw the piece of paper he was carrying down on the table and looked up at his father. "Just outside Kabul, Afghanistan," he stated as the tension level in his body increased ten-fold when he thoroughly realized what he had just said. "Dad? Is Emma going to do what I think she is going to do?"

"That is what I am not waiting around to find out. Suit up." Tony instructed his son as he started to head for the workshop.

"Tony," Pepper called out, trying to stop him with a hand on his shoulder. "I'm coming with you."

Tony shook his head before giving Pepper a kiss. "No, you're not."

"I almost lost you to that hell once and I am not about to let it happen again and sit idly by while it takes you and both of our children. I'm coming with you." Pepper insisted.

"No, you're not. I need you here in case the unthinkable should happen…even though it won't. Trust me please and let me go and do this how I have to," Tony asked her. "I won't let anything happen to either of them. I promise. Now, I have to go." He stated before breaking away from Pepper and heading down to the workshop to suit up.

All while the exchange between father and son was going on, Marina's eyes glazed over and she turned as white as a ghost as a sudden realization hit her and a series of events all clicked in her mind. "Oh my god…" she whispered.

Pepper turned when she heard Marina whisper and noticed the change in the girl's pallor. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't understand it when she gave it to me… I just thought she was preparing since everything with David happened…" Marina stammered out somewhat incoherently.

Pepper sat down next to her. "Marina, what are you talking about?"

Marina took a sealed envelope out of her purse and handed it to Pepper without saying a word.

Pepper took the envelope with a slightly confused glance towards it before she opened it and removed the letter inside to read it.

"_Marina,_

_I am leaving this with you in case I don't come back. My will and final wishes are locked in my safe in my office but this is for Antonia. Ask Jarvis to play video 32710 for her and everything will be explained. After what happened with David, I could not at least give her a good-bye even if it is by video._

_Emma V. Stark_"

Pepper froze when she realized what she had in her hand and looked at Marina as her blood ran cold. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"I didn't know what it was. I was instructed to not even open it unless the worst happened." Marina gasped out. "I know not to cross a Stark with going against direct orders."

Pepper collected herself and looked at the letter once more. "Jarvis, please play video 32710 immediately."

"As you wish, madam." Jarvis smoothly replied as Emma's image appeared on the TV screen giving what was summed up to be a well thought out farewell to her daughter.

When the video finished, Pepper had to collect herself. "Jarvis, bury that somewhere where Tony will never find it. He can never see that and please prepare the Seven for me."

"Right away, madam. Will you be wishing anything special with it?" Jarvis responded.

"Get me a track on Tony and Jamie. I need to follow them." Pepper responded before turning to Marina. "Stay here with Antonia. If we fail, Jarvis will tell you what to do. Follow his instructions to the letter."

"What do YOU intend to do?" Marina inquired.

"I intend to get my family back." Pepper stated as she headed into the workshop.

* * *

Thousands of miles away in the middle of the Afghan desert, a black Mercedes S-Guard drove through the dunes to one specific region with a vast number of caves carved into the mountains. The driver looked into the rearview mirror at his single passenger with concern.

"I would feel much better if you had an escort with you. This is not an area for pleasure seeking," he told the woman dressed in a black abaya with a matching head scarf wrapped around her face only leaving her sunglasses visible, as was custom for women.

"And as I told you before," Emma replied in a perfect Russian accent, "I am more than capable of handling this area. It's safer for you if I go alone and you will do as I say." The truth was, underneath the abaya, Emma wore her armor and had a serious supply of tricks up her sleeve to take care of what was needed to be done. "Pull up in front of the entrance and let me out and then leave." Emma commanded the driver and hushed him as he tried to protest once more before stopping the car and letting her out.

In front of the entrance to the cave was a guerrilla style camp set up with a stock pile of black market weapons, even a few antiquated Stark industries issue and five guards with automatic weapons who got very curious very quick when an unguarded woman approached them without one bit of fear or hesitation. With weapons drawn and pointed at Emma, the guards asked her in Dari what in hell she was doing here.

"I am here to see Raza," Emma answered in perfect Russian. "I have a very lucrative proposition for him."

One guard ordered another to search her for weapons. After what had happened a quarter century ago with Iron Man and Obadiah Stane, Raza's men were going to be cautious.

"You may search me but you will be disrespecting me in your culture and I will be honest enough to tell you that I am carrying a Berretta 9mm, but that is just for my protection in the desert. In reality, what could my one little handgun do again the full-blown artillery you have here?" Emma said arrogantly as she pulled out the gun to prove it. "You are wasting my time with all this useless security. Allow me to pass."

One guard looked to the other and instructed him to escort Emma to Raza.

Emma nodded her gratitude to the guard as she went past him and took a deep breath to begin her game.

As the one guard lead her through the maze of passage ways, she had Jarvis recording the way out as she scanned the passage with her glasses and marked in her own way. Every few steps, she slid one of her bombs softly down to the ground, all rigged to blow on her command as part of her escape. After was seemed like dozens of twists and turns, which Jarvis assured her that it was only seven, Emma was shown into a cavern like opening that was lit through a natural skylight in the ceiling and in the middle of the room, watching a series of screens stood Raza – older and a little more battered than she had been told but easily recognized and very much alive contrary to the profound rumors of his death. The side of his face still bore the scars where Iron Man had burned it on his original escape. Emma nodded her acknowledgement of him.

Raza made a point to look Emma over up and down as if he were eying her up for a potential concubine as he dismissed his men. "This is some what unexpected. You don't often hear of people making such blanket offers so freely and especially not a woman." He started as he approached her, trying to intimidate her. "Take off your scarf so I may see who I am dealing with."

"I respect your culture by adhering to the customs and you insult me by saying not to. Perhaps my deal will be more welcomed in other circles." Emma snapped with a clear Russian accent.

Raza nodded to her assertiveness and backed off a bit. "I am at least entitled to know who I am dealing with."

"You can call me Tatiana Romanova for all I care. Anonymity is a precious gift in my profession." Emma snapped. "Do you wish to hear my offer or not?"

"Do not try my patience. It will not bode well for you." Raza countered.

Emma stood firm and pushed him into the chair. "The same goes for you." She whispered in a deadly tone that was not to be messed with. "Now from what I know of you, you like the best technology you can get because as history **has** stated, the one with the best toys rules the world. I also know that you covet Stark technology because it has always been the best since its inception but you have barely been able to even get your hands on black market goods of that nature for a quarter of a century. What if I told you I could get you what you desire?"

"I would say you are speaking the impossible and I should kill you for wasting my time." Raza countered. "You need an inside source and if one gets lucky enough to have one, the source usually ends up dead eventually."

"That's because they were all men," Emma stated frankly as she leaned in closer to Raza. "Never send a man to do a woman's job. Things always get fouled up. Now, I can get you what you want but for a rather substantial fee…if you are willing." She stated as she palmed something in her right hand and watched patiently. Soon enough his skin took on a grayish pallor and blue blood vessels striated his face as he was sent into a state of temporary paralysis. Once she was sure that he wasn't moving anymore, she removed the scarf from her head and dropped the Russian accent but never released the button. "I am sure you remember this little toy. Obadiah Stane loved this little trick. If my research was correct, he used it on you personally when you wanted to quibble about the price of an assassination. I suppose I should be thanking you for that though because if you hadn't thought you were offered trinkets for killing a prince, I wouldn't be here," Emma purred as she scrapped her nail along the scar tissue on Raza's face. "I recognize my father's handiwork very well. You were charged with killing Tony Stark but instead you helped to give the world Iron Man." She added with a laugh as she crossed around to look dead into Raza's eyes. "But finishing the work my father started twenty-five years ago is not the only reason why I am here. I am owed justice as well for my husband. I am the widow of the man you saw fit to have his head blown apart on the platform of King's Cross Station. But none of these reasons really tell you about the woman before you who is finally going to send you to hell in a truly horrific fashion before you. Many call me the Dark Diamond but I will leave you with one last thing before I unleash the weapon that only needs to be used once on you…my real name," Emma said darkly as she popped an obsidian compound bomb, a combination of all four of her weapons, out of her pocket and set it in Raza's lap. "Say good night sweet prince. May flights of devils wing you to your rest. My name is Emma Victoria Stark and game's over."

With series of quick movements, Emma threw off the abaya and called in her glider as she gave the first trigger command, exploding her percussive bombs to collapse the door of the cavern, trapping Raza inside as she jumped on her glider to race out of the caves before the rest of her bombs destroyed it all.

Flying low enough to the ground to get a pretty good view of things going on but high enough to stay out of sight, Tony and Jamie were scanning with every bit of technology in their possession. Taking the lead point, Jamie picked up the first clue – a seismic reading of about 5.2.

"Dad, Jarvis is picking up some seismic activity right up ahead but it's not deep enough to be an earthquake." Jamie stated. "Can Emma's bomb produce that sort of pressure?"

Tony flew up next to Jamie and saw chaos – flames and smoke coming out of a cave and all the armed men around it going into panic mode. "Very much so…in close range up to an 8 on the Richter scale and I think we found our target right ahead. Jarvis give me an idea of what we're dealing with here."

As Jarvis rattled off the man and fire power, Jamie cut in. "Dad, I have just been making a few quick calculations in my head and given the explosion time that Emma's bombs have and the considerable amount of opposition coming the opposite direction…she can't outrun this, can she?"

Tony was silent for a moment. "That is why we are going to get her out. Think you can handle the garbage at the front?"

"You want blind, broke or bedlam?" Jamie asked arrogantly.

"How about all three?" Tony countered.

"My favorite…Jarvis…hard rock if you please…music to blow shit up by." Jamie said before the Iron Knight dove down right down into the thick of the fray and started unleashing his full arsenal.

As Jamie was dealing with the chaos on the outside, Tony ducked into the caverns and faced his own hell of Emma's creation. The narrow passageways were filled with smoke, flames, falling rocks, dead and dying bodies and noxious gases and coming closer to him at a rather alarming rate. Within the haze, Tony spotted a silhouette racing towards him at full speed. Tony accelerated to meet up with her as he ordered Jarvis to inform her that it was him to not startle her. Just as he reached her hand, Jamie cut in over the intercom.

"Dad, I could use a little back up out here!"

"That's easier said than done!" Tony called back as he raced with Emma out of the tunnels.

"Especially when you have someone to watch your back."

Tony's mind went numb for a second. "Pepper? What in hell are you doing here?"

"Apparently saving your behind," Pepper shouted back. "Let me help."

Tony wanted to argue more but the situation did not permit it freely. "Emma, soar out of here and meet up with your mother. Pep? Once Emma tags up with you, I want you both to fly hard and fast out of here. Jamie and I will meet up with you at Bagram. Emma, can you hold out through this? This is going to be hell on your legs."

"I can hold out as long as I need to I just may not walk off that plane too well in California." Emma stated. "Time to turn on the juice and see what shakes loose."

Emma kicked the last boost out of her glider and rocketed out of the cave and climbed only to meet a rather feminine form on Iron Man, red and gold with decidedly feminine contours. "Mom? When did you get this?"

"Let's just say your father had new definitions of the mile high club and I told him not without protection." Pepper laughed before taking point on Emma's side to head out of there.

Before they passed out of contact of Tony and Jamie, Emma looked back to the inferno. "Jarvis? Are Dad and Jamie clear of the opening?"

"Yes, Miss Emma."

"Unleash Hell's Fury…override the timer." Emma commanded and at those words, a massive explosion collapsed what was left of the cave in a flame riddled blast that could have rivaled the Atomic Bomb. With that, it was done.

* * *

The long flight home aboard the Stark private jet was largely a quiet one. As adrenaline waned and armors were removed, a peaceful and thoughtful exhaustion had set in after what could only be called a necessary annihilation, one that was long over due.

After changing out of her armor into a t-shirt and jeans, Emma came back into the main cabin a little distant at first. For the last few months, rage and a sense of revenge had been driving her actions and blocked out most everything else but now that it was done, the weight of the grief that she had been pushing aside since David died had come crashing down on her with its full force. For truly the first time, she looked at her left hand and the absence of her wedding ring. She made it only three steps before falling to her knees in an eruption of painful, grief-stricken sobs. Only one thing kept those sobs from shattering her from the inside out – her father's arms.

* * *

Marina stood on the tarmac at Stark Industries with Antonia's hand in hers waiting for the jet to touch down. With the feeling that the family was just returning from another business trip like any other, Antonia bounced up and down excitedly as the jet taxied over and the door opened. Tony descended with Pepper first, followed by Jamie but as soon as Emma appeared in the door frame, Antonia broke free from Marina and raced over to her mother, who quite happily scooped her daughter up into her arms.

Antonia wrapped her little arms tightly around Emma's neck as Emma breathed in the scent of her daughter's soft brown curls.

"Do I get present?" Antonia asked eagerly, knowing she usually got something when her mom came back from business trips.

Emma shifted Antonia to her other hip and reached into her bag and pulled out a Mommy and Baby Bear set in matching silver finale costumes from Radio City Music Hall with a small envelope attached. "This year, it's Christmas in New York as it is family tradition."


	41. Chapter 41

From the line of limos and celebrities getting out on the red carpet in front of the Disney concert hall, one would have thought the Academy Awards were having a repeat performance instead of what it actually was – a 60th birthday party for a billionaire.

The family actually took separate cars to the event to play up the press coverage. Jamie and Marina went first and had already run the gauntlet so to speak before Emma's car was pulling up several minutes later. As the flashes from the thousands of cameras that lined the street went off in anticipation of the next arrival, Emma looked down at Antonia with a smile.

"Remember what I told you about dealing with the press?" Emma asked her daughter as she straightened the red bow in her dark curls.

Antonia nodded eagerly. "Look cute, smile and don't say nothing."

"That's my girl," Emma praised her and she looked over to her date for the evening, Eric Banner, PhD in Bioengineering, and reflexively pushed a stray piece of his brown hair away from his blue eyes and away from his glasses as a flash of green flickered in them. "Why did it take for my brother to put us together at his wedding a month ago for you to finally ask me out when we have known each other since we were infants?" she asked bluntly but with a smile.

Eric pushed his glasses up and pulled at the tight collar of his shirt under the bow tie and laughed. "To be honest, I'm afraid of your Dad."

Emma laughed. "Your dad turns into an eight foot green monster who can throw Sherman tanks like they were softballs and you're afraid of my dad?"

"Your dad likes to blow shit up for fun." Eric countered. "And when he and your brother gang up it's a battle of epic proportions from what I have heard."

"You are Jamie's best friend and my dad has always liked you…especially because you are one of the few who could probably go throw for throw with his genius." Emma responded as the car pulled up. "Ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Eric sighed as the door opened and Emma gathered Antonia and stepped out to the bright lights.

Cameras went into full force as Emma stepped out of the car and set Antonia down beside her and took her hand. Reporters were screaming out her name to try to get even the briefest of quotes but _Entertainment Tonight_ got the first and possibly only luck.

"I am standing her with Emma Stark and her beautiful daughter Antonia at the entrance to Tony Stark's fantastic birthday celebration. I am sure you must be excited."

"Of course I am. It's my father's birthday and a great deal of work went into planning this celebration." Emma replied in the polished cultured tone that usually came out when dealing with the press.

The cameraman panned back to get a shot of Emma's dress, a black floor length satin gown with a small train with lace on the bodice of it, within the lace was interwoven strands of gold and small rubies. "Your dress is fabulous. Who designed it?"

"It's an original by Darius Cordell." Emma responded as she pulled Eric a little closer.

The reporter then took notice of the tall, slender but not skinny, dark haired man with wire-rimmed glasses standing next to Emma that looked way too good in that tuxedo and decided to pounce on what could be a hot bit of gossip. "And the world has not yet met your escort for the evening. Please introduce us."

Emma was waiting for this moment but she was experienced at this. "This is Dr. Eric Banner, head of the bioengineering department for Stark Industries where he is doing brilliant research on engineering organs for transplant that can't be rejected but this is not a night for discussing business…it's a party and a Stark party at that. Have some fun and a good evening." Emma skillfully stated before excusing herself to make her exit to get into the party.

"I'm very impressed, Emma." Eric whispered to her as he offered her his arm as they walked along the red carpet. "I don't think I could ever acquire such skill with reporters like that."

Emma shrugged it off. "I've had lots of practice since they have been following me since the day I was born practically.' She admitted. "But you want to see skill with reporter dismissal; you should see my mother in action. No one messes with her."

Once all the guests were inside and seated at their tables, the lights dimmed except for two spotlights on a podium on the stage in front of a giant screen and the applause started.

"Introducing your hosts for the evening's festivities, James and Emma Stark."

From either side of the stage, Jamie, in a slick black tuxedo, appeared on one side and Emma came across from the other and met in the middle at the podium under the spotlights.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to what we are sure is to be an evening to remember," Emma started off.

"We have been working for nearly a year to properly plan this 60th birthday for our father, Tony Stark." Jamie continued as he gestured to his parents' table and Tony acknowledged everyone's applause.

"Now, when you are planning a celebration of this magnitude for a man who has everything, it becomes quite a difficult task," Emma stated.

"You need to have the right amount of tribute and speeches mixed with fun or else the guest of honor would have bailed out for a craps table in Vegas," Jamie added followed by a bout of laughter from the crowd and a nod from Tony.

"So that is what we tried to do and believe me it wasn't easy," Emma picked up. "We went through hundreds of ideas for this from a pool party in Dubai to renting out all of Yankee Stadium but none of them truly captured the man, the myth and the legend that is Tony Stark."

Pepper rolled her eyes when she saw the smirk grace Tony's face. "You don't need to encourage him," she called out to the twins.

"Mom, believe us, we know we don't need to encourage him. To be honest, we've tried to discourage it but in putting together this video montage of his life, there was no way to deny it." Jamie responded. "Tony Stark is a legend among mere mortals."

"Since a picture is worth a thousand words," Emma said as she gestured to the screen. "We give you the Chairman of the Board…"

"Emma…" Tony said with a little bit of warning only to receive a smile from his daughter.

"Frank Sinatra, Dad…" Emma laughed as the screen came to life. To the background music of _My Way_, a slide show of Tony's childhood started to play up through just before his fateful trip to Afghanistan.

Without bringing up the lights, Jamie's voice cut through the darkness as the video and music took a drastic switch. As Black Sabbath's _Iron Man_ started to fill the room, "And no one will ever forget those four words which changed his life forever – I am Iron Man," he stated as a video of Iron Man's greatest hits started to play.

"First he was the son of the great Howard Stark, then the youngest CEO ever, then Iron Man but to those of us who love him as a husband, father and friend, he was always just Tony," Emma interjected as the music changed to Elton John's _The Measure of a Man _and the video changed again to clips of the family in normal life…Tony and Rhodey goofing around, Tony and Pepper's wedding and their times together away from the public light, Jamie and Emma playing with their father as small children and how much he was involved with their lives as they grew up and ending with a final glance of Tony through the years from a baby to the man he was today.

As the last picture came up the lights came up slightly as Jamie and Emma stepped forward once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, may we present the guest of honor for this evening, our father…Tony Stark," they said in sync with each other.

The applause erupted in the room as Tony got a standing ovation as he walked up to the stage and hugged each of his children before taking the podium.

"I have to admit that I wasn't expecting all of this when Jamie and Emma told me to prepare something to say. At first I was going to delegate it to Pepper like I always have but then after three smacks upside the head, I did it myself, but we all know I am not well known for sticking to the cards," Tony said with a laugh as he pulled a small stack of blue index cards out of his jacket pocket and then set them face down on the podium. "Which is exactly what I'm going to do…this will probably come out better if I wing it anyway," he added with a laugh but then actually got a little serious. "When I was younger, most people were surprised that I made it to thirty with my lifestyle and none of them would have ever banked on me making it to sixty in mostly one piece. If it wasn't for a few special people, I probably wouldn't have made it this long and those people deserve a medal for putting up with all the crap I dealt out. First off, I want to extend my thanks to James Rhodes, my best friend who has been dealing me since I was a snot nosed little kid in MIT. Next, my right hand and the one who has kept my ass in check for over thirty-seven years, my wife, Virginia and last but certainly not least, my children, James and Emma, who nearly put all of this together single handedly while working for me, getting married in Jamie's case, and raising my grandchild in Emma's case. I appreciate this from the bottom of my heart and words really can't express all that I feel for all of them."

Tony paused for a moment, as if he was warring with himself on an internal debate and then came to a decision. "And given then fact that is my party, I feel it is also an appropriate forum to make this announcement. Emma, come up here for a moment."

Emma got a quick nervous knot in her stomach as she approached her father not knowing what he was going to do.

As Emma got close enough, Tony wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. "Given the fact that I am turning sixty today and Pepper has been after me for years to slow down, I am finally deciding to listen to her." Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys and handed it over to Emma. "Effective tomorrow with the beginning of my retirement, it is my pride, my privilege and my honor to announce that Emma Stark will be the new CEO of Stark Industries International…if she wants it…"

Emma almost stopped breathing for a moment as Tony pressed "the keys to the kingdom" into her hands. She nodded in acceptance before enveloping him in a huge hug to the sound of roaring applause.

"I had been planning this for a while," Tony whispered in Emma's ear. "But I just couldn't let go of my record of being the youngest CEO ever."

Emma lifted her head and playfully slapped her father's should. "Funny Dad. Very funny. Now finish this off, these people came for a party."

"You're right they did," Tony agreed before turning back to the crowd. "As my daughter has informed me, this is supposed to be a party so enough with the boring stuff and time to see how many tabloids get pictures of this on their front page." Tony said as the music started playing and most people started dancing as he turned to Pepper. "Think anyone would miss us if we sneak off?" he whispered.

Some time later, Emma was in the middle of the dance floor with Eric and Antonia when Jamie and Marina came over as Eric was trying to move in for a kiss.

"You have terrible timing, Stark." Eric groaned.

"You move too slow, Banner." Jamie countered before turning to Emma. "Have you seen Mom or Dad anywhere?" he asked his sister.

Emma made a quick scan of the room and didn't spot either of their parents anywhere. "Knowing Dad…he and Mom probably went to the roof with two martinis and won't want to be disturbed." She said with a laugh.

"Even Dad wouldn't do that…Mom would not let him." Jamie countered.

"He's gotten away with worse." Emma replied as a waiter handed her an envelope. She thanked him and looked it over before opening it and recognized the messy handwriting on the front. "It's from Dad." She stated as she began to read.

_Dear Emma and Jamie,_

_I figured since this is more a celebration of a promotion rather than a retirement, your mom and I wouldn't be missed. We're taking the yacht out for a bit to destinations to be determined. Emma, the kingdom is now in your hands and Jamie, I gave SHIELD your cell phone number since Iron Man will still be needed. Thanks again for the birthday party. I did mean every word I said. But now, time for fun. No worries, Jarvis will be able to find us at any time._

_Love,_

_Dad (and Mom)_

"Well you can't say the man doesn't have balls." Jamie sighed. "He blew off his own party after we busted our asses for this."

"It's his birthday and Dad does what he wants…we both know that." Emma stated. "Marina, you just got a promotion to my executive assistant and come tomorrow morning, we have work to do. First thing, I need a new name plate for my door."

"And what do we do with your father's?" Marina asked as she tapped Emma's requests into her PDA.

"Keep it…right inside the door…underneath my grandfather's just like he did."

"Will there be anything else, Ms. Stark?" Marina asked.

'That will be all."

FINITO  
_Author's Note: I want to thank all my fans of this story which made it my most popular fic ever. I also need to thank Tamasit1 for her undying help through this saga…a saga which we met over. My thanks also go out to all the other talented writers who have allowed me from time to time to bounce stuff off of them or vent, such as ZionAngel and Cincoflex. If demand is great enough, I may try to create a sequel to this epic but until then keep your eyes out for all my other works._


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